CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 


R 


CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 


BY 


FRANK  PARSONS,  PH.D. 

LATE  DIRECTOR  OF  THE  VOCATION  BUREAU  AND  BREADWINNERS'  IN8TI 

TUTE,   CIVIC  SERVICE  HOUSE,  BOSTON  ;  AUTHOR  OF  "  YOUTH  AND 

THE  WORLD,"   "  THE  CITY  FOR  THE  PEOPLE,"   ETC.,  ETC. 


BOSTON  AND   NEW  YORK 

HOUGHTON  MIFFLIN  COMPANY 

Cbc  ttilu'rsi&c  press  Cambridge 


ENIVEKSITi 


COPYRIGHT,  1909,  BY   MEYER   BLOOMFIELD 
ALL   RIGHTS   RESERVED 


Published  May  IQOQ 


DEDICATION 

To  Mrs.  Quincy  A.  Shaw,  the  progressive  daughter  of 
Agassiz,  whose  far-sighted  and  beneficent  philanthropy 
has  done  so  much  for  the  young  people  of  Boston,  and 
indirectly  through  the  spread  of  her  institutions,  for  young 
people  throughout  the  country,  this  book  is  dedicated  in  a 
spirit  of  reverent  affection  and  respect. 


2065908 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE 

THE  manuscript  of  this  book  was  practically  ready  for 
publication  when  Professor  Parsons  died.  For  a  year 
prior  to  his  death  he  had  given  a  large  part  of  his  time  to 
Vocation  Bureau  work.  Some  of  the  material  here  used 
appeared  in  articles  in  The  Arena,  and  a  number  of  the 
"cases"  in  Part  III  have  been  published  in  the  daily 
papers  of  Boston  and  New  York.  The  appearance  of  these 
articles  brought  hundreds  of  letters  of  inquiry  from  all 
parts  of  the  United  States,  expressing  interest  in  the  effort 
to  give  scientific  vocational  counsel  to  the  young.  That 
Professor  Parsons  would  have  carried  the  plan  to  a  greater 
completeness  had  he  lived,  there  is  no  doubt;  but  the  work 
that  he  did  do  is  of  such  value  that  it  is  believed  many  will 
be  grateful  to  get  such  information  about  it  as  can  be  given 
in  this  volume. 

Whatever  doubts  there  may  be  of  the  practicability  of 
giving  expert  vocational  counsel  to  young  men  and  wo- 
men, there  are  certain  simple  truths  upon  which  the  plan 
is  based,  and  which  I  believe  no  one  will  deny. 

1.  It  is  better  to  choose  a  vocation  than  merely  to  "  hunt 
a  job." 

2.  No  one  should  choose  a  vocation  without  careful 
self -analysis,  thorough,  honest,  and  under  guidance. 

3.  The  youth  should  have  a  large  survey  of  the  field  of 
vocations,  and  not  simply  drop  into  the  convenient  or  acci- 
dental position. 

4.  Expert  advice,  or  the  advice  of  men  who  have  made  a 
careful  study  of  men  and  of  vocations  and  of  the  conditions 


viii  INTRODUCTORY  NOTE 

of  success,  must  be  better  and  safer  for  a  young  man  than 
the  absence  of  it. 

5.  Putting  it  down  on  paper  seems  to  be  a  simple  matter, 
but  it  is  one  of  supreme  importance  in  this  study.  No 
young  man  can  make  the  self-analysis  which  Professor 
Parsons  calls  for  on  paper  without  gaining  a  distinct  bene- 
fit, a  guide,  a  rudder,  a  plan  which  will  reduce  very  greatly 
his  liability  to  become  a  mere  piece  of  driftwood  upon  the 
industrial  sea. 

A  thoughtful  reading  of  the  "  cases  "  in  Part  III  will  give 
the  reader  a  fair  test  of  the  practical  application  of  the  plan 
and  its  freedom  from  dogmatism  or  any  undue  claim  to  the 
word  "  scientific."  In  practical  helpfulness  to  the  scores  of 
people  who  have  applied  to  the  Bureau  it  has  established 
its  worth  and  its  sanity ;  and  I  am  convinced  that  it  will  be 
reproduced  in  other  communities,  and  eventually,  in  its 
fundamental  principles,  in  our  educational  system  itself. 

RALPH  ALBERTSON. 
BOSTON,  May  1,1909. 


CONTENTS 

PART  I.   THE  PERSONAL  INVESTIGATION 

I.    THE  IMPORTANCE  OF  SCIENTIFIC  METHOD     .    .  3 

II.   THE  PRINCIPLES  AND  METHODS  INVOLVED   .    .  5 

III.  COUNSELORS  AND  APPLICANTS 14 

IV.  EXTENDED  DISCUSSION  OF  PERSONAL  DATA  .    .  26 
V.    THE  METHOD  IN  OUTLINE 45 

PART  II.   THE  INDUSTRIAL  INVESTIGATION 

VI.   THE  CONDITIONS  OF  EFFICIENCY  AND  SUCCESS  IN 

DIFFERENT  INDUSTRIES       49 

VII.    CLASSIFICATIONS  OF  INDUSTRIES 65 

VIII.    INDUSTRIES  OPEN  TO  WOMEN 66 

IX.    THE  USE  OF  STATISTICS 71 

X.   THE  MOVEMENT  OF  THE  DEMAND  FOR  WORKERS  74 

XI.    THE  GEOGRAPHICAL  DISTRIBUTION  OF  WORKERS  83 

PART  III.   THE  ORGANIZATION  AND  THE  WORK 

XII.    THE  VOCATION  BUREAU 91 

XIII.  THE  SCHOOL  FOR  VOCATIONAL  COUNSELORS  .     .  93 

XIV.  SUPPLEMENTARY  HELPS 96 

XV.    SAMPLE  CASES Ill 

XVI.    CONCLUSIONS  .  .160 


PART  I 
THE  PERSONAL  INVESTIGATION 


THE  IMPORTANCE  OF  SCIENTIFIC  METHOD 

No  step  in  life,  unless  it  may  be  the  choice  of  a  husband  or 
wife,  is  more  important  than  the  choice  of  a  vocation.  The 
wise  selection  of  the  business,  profession,  trade,  or  occu- 
pation to  which  one's  life  is  to  be  devoted  and  the  develop- 
ment of  full  efficiency  in  the  chosen  field  are  matters  of  the 
deepest  moment  to  young  men  and  to  the  public.  These  vital 
problems  should  be  solved  in  a  careful,  scientific  way,  with 
due  regard  to  each  person's  aptitudes,  abilities,  ambitions, 
resources,  and  limitations,  and  the  relations  of  these  ele- 
ments to  the  conditions  of  success  in  different  industries. 
If  a  boy  takes  up  a  line  of  work  to  which  he  is  adapted, 
he  will  achieve  far  greater  success  than  if  he  drifts  into  an 
industry  for  which  he  is  not  fitted.  An  occupation  out  of 
harmony  with  the  worker's  aptitudes  and  capacities  means 
inefficiency,  unenthusiastic  and  perhaps  distasteful  labor, 
and  low  pay;  while  an  occupation  in  harmony  with  the 
nature  of  the  man  means  enthusiasm,  love  of  work,  and 
high  economic  values,  —  superior  product,  efficient  ser- 
vice, and  good  pay.  If  a  young  man  chooses  his  vocation 
so  that  his  best  abilities  and  enthusiasms  will  be  united  with 
his  daily  work,  he  has  laid  the  foundations  of  success  and 
happiness.  But  if  his  best  abilities  and  enthusiasms  are 
separated  from  his  daily  work,  or  do  not  find  in  it  fair 
scope  and  opportunity  for  exercise  and  development;  if 
his  occupation  is  merely  a  means  of  making  a  living,  and 
the  work  he  loves  to  do  is  side-tracked  into  the  evening 
hours,  or  pushed  out  of  his  life  altogether,  he  will  be  only  a 
fraction  of  the  man  he  ought  to  be.  Efficiency  and  success 


4  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

are  largely  dependent  on  adaptation.  A  man  would  not 
get  good  results  by  using  his  cow  to  draw  his  carriage  and 
his  horse  for  dairy  purposes ;  yet  the  difference  of  adapta- 
bility in  that  case  is  no  more  emphatic  than  the  differences 
in  the  aptitudes,  capacities,  powers,  and  adaptabilities  of 
human  beings. 

We  guide  our  boys  and  girls  to  some  extent  through 
school,  then  drop  them  into  this  complex  world  to  sink  or 
swim  as  the  case  may  be.  Yet  there  is  no  part  of  life  where 
the  need  for  guidance  is  more  emphatic  than  in  the  transi- 
tion from  school  to  work,  —  the  choice  of  a  vocation,  ade- 
quate preparation  for  it,  and  the  attainment  of  efficiency 
and  success.  The  building  of  a  career  is  quite  as  difficult 
a  problem  as  the  building  of  a  house,  yet  few  ever  sit  down 
with  pencil  and  paper,  with  expert  information  and  coun- 
sel, to  plan  a  working  career  and  deal  with  the  life  problem 
scientifically,  as  they  would  deal  with  the  problem  of  build- 
ing a  house,  taking  the  advice  of  an  architect  to  help  them. 

Boys  generally  drift  into  some  line  of  work  by  chance, 
proximity,  or  uninformed  selection;  and  the  high  per- 
centage of  inefficiency  and  change  experienced  by  many 
employers  in  their  working  force,  and  the  cost  it  entails 
in  employment  expense,  waste  of  training,  and  low-grade 
service,  are  largely  due  to  the  haphazard  way  in  which 
young  men  and  women  drift  into  employments,  with  little 
or  no  regard  to  adaptability,  and  without  adequate  pre- 
paration, or  any  definite  aim  or  well-considered  plan  to 
insure  success. 

The  aim  of  this  book  is  to  point  out  practical  steps  that 
can  be  taken  to  remedy  these  conditions  through  expert 
counsel  and  guidance,  in  the  selection  of  a  vocation,  the 
preparation  for  it,  and  the  transition  from  school  to  work. 
No  person  may  decide  for  another  what  occupation  he 
should  choose,  but  it  is  possible  to  help  him  so  to  approach 
the  problem  that  he  shall  come  to  wise  conclusions  for 
himself. 


II 


THE  PRINCIPLES  AND  METHODS  INVOLVED 

IN  the  wise  choice  of  a  vocation  there  are  three  broad 
factors:  (1)  a  clear  understanding  of  yourself,  your  apti- 
tudes, abilities,  interests,  ambitions,  resources,  limitations, 
and  their  causes;  (2)  a  knowledge  of  the  requirements  and 
conditions  of  success,  advantages  and  disadvantages,  com- 
pensation, opportunities,  and  prospects  in  different  lines 
of  work;  (3)  true  reasoning  on  the  relations  of  these  two 
groups  of  facts. 

Every  young  person  needs  help  on  all  three  of  these 
points.  He  needs  all  the  information  and  assistance  he  can 
get.  He  needs  counsel.  He  needs  a  vocational  counselor. 
He  needs  careful  and  systematic  help  by  experienced  minds 
in  making  this  greatest  decision  of  his  life. 

The  more  light  he  can  bring  to  bear  on  the  problem 
from  his  own  observation,  reading,  and  experience,  the 
better  it  will  be  for  the  clearness  and  strength  of  the  con- 
clusions arrived  at,  and  the  permanent  value  of  the  results 
attained.  The  first  step,  therefore,  is  self-study. 

To  win  the  best  success  of  which  one  is  capable,  his  best 
abilities  and  enthusiasms  must  be  united  with  his  daily 
work.  He  needs,  therefore,  to  investigate  himself  in  order 
to  determine  his  capacities,  interests,  resources,  and  limi- 
tations, and  their  causes,  so  that  he  may  compare  his  apti- 
tudes, abilities,  ambitions,  etc.,  with  the  conditions  of  suc- 
cess in  different  industries. 

The  schedule  of  personal  data  outlined  later  in  these 
pages  may  be  used  as  part  of  the  process  of  self-investiga- 
tion and  self-revelation.  The  answers  the  young  man  or 


6  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

woman  makes  to  these  questions  afford  much  light  on  the 
problem  under  consideration,  not  only  by  their  direct  re- 
lations to  it,  but  indirectly  also;  for  a  careful  counselor  can 
read  between  the  lines  a  great  deal  about  the  accuracy, 
clearness,  directness,  and  definiteness  of  thought,  care, 
thoroughness,  modesty  or  conceit,  mental  make-up,  and 
special  characteristics  of  the  young  man's  character  and 
ability.  In  addition  to  the  schedule  study,  the  counselor 
puts  whatever  questions  and  makes  whatever  tests  the  case 
may  call  for,  on  the  general  principle  already  stated. 

When  I  hand  this  schedule  to  a  young  man  I  talk  to  him 
somewhat  as  follows :  — 

"Some  of  these  questions  can  be  answered  very  definitely.  In 
respect  to  others,  the  character  questions  for  example,  you  can 
only  make  estimates  more  or  less  imperfect  and  subject  to  re- 
vision. Some  questions  you  may  not  be  able  to  answer  at  all 
without  assistance  and  careful  testing.  But  do  the  best  you  can. 
Consider  every  question  carefully,  try  to  form  a  good  judgment 
on  it,  and  state  the  tests  or  evidence  you  rely  on  in  making  your 
judgment.  A  thorough  study  of  yourself  is  the  foundation  of  a 
true  plan  of  life.  Deal  with  the  matter  as  though  correct  conclu- 
sions would  mean  ten  thousand  dollars  to  you.  A  true  judgment 
of  yourself  may  mean  more  than  that.  Stand  off  and  look  at  your- 
self as  though  you  were  another  individual.  Look  yourself  in 
the  eye.  Compare  yourself  with  others.  See  if  you  can  remember 
as  much  as  the  best  of  your  companions  about  a  lecture  or  a  play 
you  have  heard  together,  or  a  passage  or  book  you  have  both  read. 
Watch  the  people  you  admire,  note  their  conduct,  conversation, 
and  appearance,  and  how  they  differ  from  people  you  do  not 
admire.  Then  see  which  you  resemble  most.  See  if  you  are  as 
careful,  thorough,  prompt,  reliable,  persistent,  good-natured,  and 
sympathetic  as  the  best  people  you  know.  Get  your  friends  to 
help  you  form  true  judgments  about  yourself,  and,  above  all 
things,  be  on  your  guard  against  self-conceit  and  flattery.  Test 
every  element  of  your  character,  knowledge,  mental  power,  ap- 
pearance, manners,  etc.,  as  well  as  you  can.  And  then  bring  the 
study  to  the  counselor.  He  will  help  you  revise  it,  make  further 
tests,  suggest  the  means  of  judging  questions  not  yet  satisfacto- 
rily answered,  and  consider  with  you  the  relations  between  your 


PRINCIPLES  AND  METHODS  INVOLVED         7 

aptitude,  abilities,  etc.,  and  the  requirements,  conditions  of  suc- 
cess, advantages  and  disadvantages,  opportunities  and  prospects 
in  the  various  callings  you  might  engage  in,  and  also  consider  the 
best  means  of  preparation  and  advancement  to  secure  the  full- 
est efficiency  and  success  in  the  field  of  work  you  may  decide 
upon." 

The  study  made  by  the  applicant  reveals  much  more 
to  the  counselor  than  is  contained  in  the  answers  made  to 
schedule  points.  He  can  read  between  the  lines  important 
messages  as  to  care,  accuracy,  memory,  clearness  and  de- 
finiteness  of  thought,  directness  or  irrelevancy,  conceit  or 
modesty,  common  sense,  etc.,  which  help  to  indicate  the 
suggestions  that  ought  to  be  made  in  the  individual  case. 

Besides  this  study  by  the  applicant  on  his  own  account, 
the  counselor  usually  questions  him  at  some  length  in  a 
private  interview.  Ancestry,  family,  education,  reading, 
experience,  interests,  aptitudes,  abilities,  limitations,  re- 
sources, etc.,  are  inquired  into  with  a  vigor  and  directness 
that  are  not  possible  in  a  written  research.  The  memory 
is  tested  and  the  general  intelligence  so  far  as  possible, 
the  senses  also  and  delicacy  of  touch,  nerve,  sight,  and 
hearing  reactions,  association-time,  etc.,  where  these  facts 
appear  to  be  important  elements  in  the  problem.  For 
example,  an  artist  needs,  among  other  things,  good  visual 
memory  and  delicacy  of  touch ;  a  dentist  should  have  keen 
sight,  delicate  touch,  correlation  of  hand  and  eye,  and 
plenty  of  nerve;  and  if  the  verbal  memory  is  defective  or 
the  auditory  reactions  are  slow,  it  would  probably  be  diffi- 
cult to  become  a  thoroughly  expert  stenographer.  So  again, 
slow  sight  and  hearing  reactions  w^ould  be  one  indication 
against  the  probability  of  becoming  highly  expert  as  a 
telegrapher  or  a  thoroughly  competent  chauffeur.  The 
workers  in  some  psychologic  laboratories  think  the  tests 
of  reaction-time  are  liable  to  too  much  variation  from 
special  causes,  difference  in  the  stimulus,  attention,  emo- 
tional conditions,  etc.,  to  be  of  much  practical  value.  But 


8  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

the  Yale  experiments  on  sight  and  hearing  reactions  seem 
to  afford  a  clear  basis  for  taking  such  facts  into  account 
in  forming  a  rational  judgment,  and  that  is  the  opinion  of 
a  number  of  investigators  of  high  authority.  When  the 
normal  reactions,  and  the  extreme  reactions  under  intense 
stimulation  and  keen  attention,  are  carefully  tested  and 
compared  with  the  average  results,  the  data  certainly  af- 
ford some  light  on  the  individual's  probable  aptitude  and 
capacities.  Other  things  equal,  a  girl  with  slow  normal 
hearing  reactions  could  not  expect  to  become  so  readily 
and  completely  proficient  in  stenography  as  a  girl  whose 
normal  reactions  are  unusually  quick.  Tests  of  associa- 
tion-time, memory- time,  will-time,  etc.,  may  throw  some 
light  on  the  probability  of  developing  power  in  cross-ex- 
amination, executive  ability,  fitness  to  manage  large  affairs, 
etc.  Rapidity  and  definiteness  of  memory  and  association, 
promptness  and  clearness  of  decision,  etc.,  are  certainly 
more  favorable  than  their  opposites  to  the  development  of 
the  powers  just  mentioned.  Nevertheless,  it  must  not  be 
forgotten  that  all  such  indications  are  only  straws,  hints  to 
be  taken  into  account  with  all  the  other  facts  of  the  case. 
The  handicap  of  slow  decision  or  imperfect  memory  may  be 
more  than  overcome  by  superiority  in  industry,  earnestness, 
vitality,  endurance,  common  sense,  sound  judgment,  etc. 
For  the  purpose  of  aiding  to  get  a  comprehensive  view 
of  the  field  of  opportunity,  we  have  a  classified  list  of  more 
than  two  hundred  ways  in  which  women  are  earning 
money,  and  similar  classified  lists  of  industries  for  men. 
Another  study  has  been  made  and  is  published  herewith 
in  regard  to  the  conditions  of  success  in  different  indus- 
tries :  first,  the  fundamentals,  applicable  in  large  measure 
to  all  industries;  and  second,  the  special  conditions,  ap- 
plicable to  particular  industries  or  groups  of  industries. 
For  example,  health,  energy,  care,  enthusiasm,  reliability, 
love  of  the  work,  etc.,  are  essential  to  the  best  success  in 
any  industry;  while  power  of  expression  with  the  voice  is 


PRINCIPLES  AND  METHODS  INVOLVED         9 

peculiarly  related  to  success  in  the  ministry,  law,  and 
public  life ;  organizing  and  executive  ability,  knowledge  of 
human  nature  and  ability  to  deal  with  it,  power  to  manage 
men  harmoniously  and  effectively,  are  important  factors 
in  business  affairs  of  the  larger  sort ;  and  delicacy  of  touch, 
coordination  of  hand  and  brain,  fine  sense  of  color,  form, 
and  proportion,  strong  memory  for  combinations  of  sound, 
etc.,  are  special  elements  in  artistic  and  musical  success. 

Opportunities,  specific  and  general,  in  different  lines  of 
work  should  be  classified  with  reference  to  each  of  the 
leading  industries,  and  also  with  regard  to  the  location  of 
industrial  centres  of  various  sorts  and  the  geographical 
distribution  of  demand.  A  table  has  been  prepared  show- 
ing all  the  leading  industries  in  Massachusetts,  with  their 
relative  development  and  geographical  centres.  Similar 
tables  can  be  made  for  other  states  and  for  the  United 
States.  Attention  is  also  given  to  the  relative  growth  of 
industries  and  the  movement  of  demand.  For  instance, 
census  figures  show  that  the  per  cent  of  progress  in  the 
printing  trade  in  Massachusetts  is  four  times  the  per  cent 
of  progress  for  the  whole  group  of  manufacturing  and  me- 
chanical industries.  Again,  industrial  education  is  grow- 
ing very  rapidly,  and  the  demand  for  competent  teachers 
of  commercial  branches  and  the  mechanic  arts,  woodwork, 
machine  work,  etc.,  is  much  greater  than  the  supply.  As 
data  develop  on  these  lines,  more  and  more  complete  and 
perfect  information  relating  to  immediate  and  specific 
openings  and  opportunities  for  employment,  and  to  the 
general  and  permanent  demand  in  different  occupations, 
will  be  made  available.  Data  in  regard  to  pay,  conditions 
of  labor,  chances  of  advancement,  etc.,  should  also  be  col- 
lected and  systematized. 

There  is  possibility  here  for  cooperation  with  employ- 
ment agencies  of  the  right  kind,  with  very  valuable  and 
helpful  results. 

We  have  in  tabular  form  the  courses  given  in  the  lead- 


10  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

ing  vocational  schools,  and  are  making  simple  tables  of  all 
the  day  and  evening  courses  in  or  near  our  city  that  have 
a  vocational  bearing,  noting  the  length  of  each  course,  its 
beginning,  time  per  day  and  week,  age  and  conditions 
of  admission,  cost,  opportunities  of  earning  money  while 
studying,  etc.,  so  that  young  men  and  women  can  see  at  a 
glance  all  the  institutions  that  give  such  courses  as  they 
may  desire  and  the  relative  advantage  as  to  time,  cost,  and 
conditions. 

Special  effort  is  made  to  develop  analytic  power.  The 
power  to  see  the  essential  facts  and  principles  in  a  book  or 
a  man  or  a  mass  of  business  data,  economic  facts,  or  politi- 
cal and  social  affairs,  reduce  these  essentials  to  their  lowest 
terms  and  group  them  in  their  true  relations  in  brief  dia- 
grams or  pictures,  is  invaluable  in  any  department  of  life 
where  clear  thinking  and  intellectual  grasp  are  important 
elements.  This  analytic  power  is  one  of  the  corner-stones 
of  mastery  and  achievement.  To  develop  it  we  give  the 
student  class  of  applicants  samples  of  good  analytic  work, 
and  ask  them  to  read  a  good  book  and  analyze  it,  or  make 
an  investigation  and  reduce  the  facts  to  analytic  form. 
After  they  have  had  some  practice  in  analysis,  we  use  the 
following  more  extensive  contract,  which  calls  for  a  dozen 
items  or  such  portions  of  them  as  the  counselor  may  deem 
best  to  ask  for. 

In  reading under  agreement  with  the  Vocation  Bu- 
reau dated make  a  page  or  more  of  keynotes  on  the 

following  points,  and  talk  them  over  with  the  counselor  for  the 
mutual  benefit  of  all  concerned. 

Put  page  reference  after  each  point  you  note. 

1.  FACTS.  The  half-dozen  facts  that  seem  to  you  most  impor- 

tant. 

2.  EVENTS.  The  leading  events  or  landmarks  of  the  book. 

3.  PRINCIPLES.  The  half-dozen  principles  you  think  most  vital> 

4.  CHARACTERS.  The  chief  characters  (if  the  book  deals  with 

characters)  and  their  most  striking  characteristics. 
6.  IDEAS.  The  most  interesting  and  inspiring  ideas. 


PRINCIPLES  AND  METHODS  INVOLVED       11 

6.  SUGGESTIONS.  The  most  helpful  suggestions  and  their  ap- 

plication to  your  life. 

7.  BEAUTY,  USE,  HUMOH.    Passages  that  are  specially  beauti- 

ful, novel,  useful,  or  humorous. 

8.  INTERESTS  AND  REASONS.  The  things  that  interest  you  most 

of  all,  and  the  reasons  they  interest  you. 

9.  ETHICS,  MORALS.  The  ethical  aspects,  or  right  and  wrong 

of  the  book  and  its  characters,  events,  ideas,  and  principles. 

10.  COMMON  SENSE.  Criticisms  as  to  purpose,  method,  make-up, 
style,  etc.  What  you  would  say  to  the  author  if  he  asked  you 
(a)  how  you  liked  the  book,  (6)  what  you  liked  best,  (c)  what 
you  did  n't  like,  and  (d)  how  you  think  it  could  be  improved. 

11.  COMPARISON,  RANK.  Comparison  of  the  book  with  others 
you  have  read,  and  the  rank  you  would  give  it. 

12.  APPLICATIONS.    General  utility  of  the  book,  —  application 
of  its  facts,  teachings,  etc.,  to  individuals,  society,  govern- 
ment, industry,  civilization,  etc. 

I  find  it  best  to  have  at  least  fifteen  minutes'  private  talk 
with  the  applicant  before  he  begins  his  personal  study 
(and  half  an  hour  or  an  hour  is  better  still,  if  it  can  be 
had) ,  in  order  to  question  him  about  his  education,  reading, 
and  experience,  how  he  spends  his  spare  time  and  his 
money,  the  nature  of  his  interests  and  ambitions,  and  the 
general  outline  of  his  problem.  Sometimes  the  case  is  pretty 
clear  at  the  first  interview ;  sometimes  a  good  deal  of  study 
is  needed  to  get  the  right  clue.  If  the  boy  is  undeveloped 
and  inexperienced  and  shows  no  special  aptitudes,  he 
is  advised  to  read  about  various  industries  in  Fowler's 
"Starting  in  Life"  and  other  vocational  books,  and  visit 
farms,  factories,  carpenter  shops,  machine  shops,  labora- 
tories, electric  works,  railroad  depots,  buildings  in  course 
of  construction,  newspaper  offices,  photograph  studios, 
courts,  banks,  stores,  etc.,  talk  with  the  workers  and  super- 
intendents, too,  if  he  can,  try  his  hand  at  different  sorts  of 
work  on  the  farm,  in  the  care  of  animals,  in  the  factory, 
office,  and  store,  so  as  to  get  an  experience  sufficient  to 
bring  out  his  aptitudes  and  abilities,  if  he  has  any,  and  to 


12  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

form  a  basis  for  an  intelligent  judgment  as  to  what  he  shall 
try  to  do  in  the  world. 

Breadth  is  important  as  well  as  specialization.   A  man 
cannot  be  fully  successful,  nor  secure  against  the  changes 
constantly  occurring  in  industry,  unless  he  knows  a  good 
deal  besides  the  special  knowledge  immediately  applicable 
to  his  business.   There  is  no  way  in  many  cases  to  bring 
true  interests  and  aptitudes  into  clear  relief,  except  through 
variety  of  experience.  An  interest  in  a  certain  line  of  work, 
or  the  lack  of  interest,  may  be  the  result  of  knowledge  or 
of  ignorance,  an  indication  of  power  or  of  weakness.    A 
boy  often  takes  a  dislike  to  his  father's  occupation  because 
he  sees  the  inside  of  it  and  knows  all  its  "  outs,"  while  he 
does  not  know  the  disadvantages  of  other  occupations  in 
respect  to  which  he  is  familiar  only  with  the  outside.   It 
may  be  that  a  wider  experience  will  develop  some  new  in- 
terest and  aptitude,  stronger  than  any  that  is  now  in  evi- 
dence.   Many  boys  might  be  equally  successful  either  in 
business,  or  farming,  or  some  mechanical  line,  or  one  of 
the  professions.   Any  honorable  work  in  which  there  was 
a  fair  chance  for  advancement  would  interest  them  after 
they  had  passed  the  initial  stages  and  got  sufficient  skill 
and  understanding  of  the  calling  to  work  with  reasonable 
facility  and  certainty.  In  such  cases  the  choice  of  an  occu- 
pation is  largely  the  question  of  opportunity  and  industrial 
demand.   If  the  father,  or  uncle,  or  any  relative  or  friend 
has  a  good  business  into  which  the  boy  can  grow  with  a 
prospect  of  adaptation  and  efficiency,  the  burden  of  proof 
is  on  the  proposition  that  this  foundation  should  be  aban- 
doned and  another  building  started  on  a  new  site.   If  there 
are  excellent  openings  in  forestry,  scientific  agriculture, 
business  and  office  management,  skillful  art-craft,  teach- 
ing the  mechanical  arts,  etc.,  such  facts  must  have  full 
weight  in  cases  where  outside  opportunity,  East  or  West  or 
South,  is  a  determining  factor.  The  question  of  resources, 
ability  to  take  expensive  courses  of  instruction  and  wait 


PRINCIPLES  AND  METHODS  INVOLVED       13 

long  years  for  remunerative  practice  or  position,  is  also 
very  important.  But  the  fundamental  question  that  out- 
ranks all  the  others  is  the  question  of  adaptation,  —  the 
question  of  uniting,  so  far  as  may  be  possible,  the  best 
abilities  and  enthusiasms  of  ihe  developed  man  with  the 
daily  work  he  has  to  do. 


in 

COUNSELORS  AND  APPLICANTS 

I  LIKE  to  begin  with  a  general  talk  to  a  class  or  a  club  or 
some  other  organization  or  group  of  students  or  young 
people,  presenting  the  matter  in  some  such  form  as  this :  — 

If  you  had  a  million  dollars  to  invest,  you  would  be  very  care- 
ful about  it ;  you  would  study  methods  of  investment,  and  get  ex- 
pert counsel  and  advice  from  those  familiar  with  such  things,  and 
try  to  invest  your  money  so  it  would  be  safe  and  would  pay  you 
good  dividends.  Your  life  is  worth  more  than  a  million  dollars  to 
you.  You  would  not  sell  it  for  that.  And  you  are  investing  it  day 
by  day  and  week  by  week.  Are  you  studying  the  different  methods 
of  investment  open  to  you,  and  taking  counsel  to  help  you  decide 
just  what  investment  you  had  better  make  in  order  to  get  the 
best  returns  upon  your  capital  ? 

The  Vocation  Bureau  has  been  established  to  help  you  in 
this.  One  of  the  most  important  steps  in  life  is  the  choice  of  an 
occupation.  If  you  take  up  a  line  of  work  to  which  you  are 
adapted  or  can  adapt  yourself,  you  are  likely  to  be  happy  and 
successful.  If  a  man  loves  his  work  and  can  do  it  well,  he  has 
laid  the  foundation  for  a  useful  and  happy  life.  But  if  his  best 
abilities  and  enthusiasms  do  not  find  scope  in  his  daily  work, 
if  his  occupation  is  merely  a  means  of  making  a  living,  and  the 
work  he  loves  to  do  is  side-tracked  into  the  evening  hours  or 
pushed  out  of  his  life  altogether,  he  will  be  only  a  fraction  of  the 
man  he  ought  to  be.  Efficiency  and  success  are  largely  dependent 
on  adaptation.  You  must  learn  what  you  are  best  adapted  to  do, 
and  get  started  in  that  line. 

You  may  not  be  able  to  get  into  the  right  line  of  work  at  first. 
You  may  have  to  earn  your  living  for  a  while  in  any  way  that 
is  open  to  you.  But  if  you  study  yourself  and  get  sufficient  know- 
ledge of  various  industries  to  determine  what  sort  of  work  you 
are  best  adapted  to,  and  then  carefully  prepare  yourself  for  effi- 


COUNSELORS  AND  APPLICANTS  15 

cient  service  in  that  line,  the  opportunity  will  come  for  you  to 
make  use  of  the  best  that  is  in  you  in  your  daily  work. 

Lincoln  tried  farming,  lumbering,  rail-splitting,  and  running 
a  flat-boat.  He  was  a  teacher,  postmaster,  captain  in  the  Black 
Hawk  War,  storekeeper  and  surveyor.  But  whatever  he  did  to 
earn  a  living,  he  was  always  spending  his  spare  time  in  reading 
good  books  and  in  telling  stories  and  discussing  public  questions. 
He  kept  studying  himself  also,  and  he  concluded  that  his  special 
abilities  were  his  great  physical  strength  and  his  power  to  ex- 
press himself  in  a  forceful  and  attractive  way  which  made  people 
like  to  hear  him  talk.  His  bodily  strength  fitted  him  for  such 
heavy  work  as  blacksmithing,  and  he  debated  with  himself 
whether  he  would  learn  that  trade  or  the  law.  It  would  be  com- 
paratively easy  to  get  a  start  in  blacksmithing,  for  little  capital 
would  be  required  and  he  could  earn  his  living  probably  at  once, 
whereas  it  would  cost  much  time  and  money  to  make  himself  a 
good  lawyer  and  get  practice  enough  to  support  him.  While 
physical  power  and  an  easy  open  way  invited  him  to  blacksmith- 
ing, he  knew  that  his  higher  powers  —  his  distinguishing  traits 
of  mind  and  character  —  adapted  him  to  public  life  and  the  law, 
and  he  obeyed  the  call  in  spite  of  the  difficulties  in  the  way.  He 
found  friends  to  help  him  in  his  studies  and  his  entrance  to  civic 
life  and  legal  practice.  He  was  elected  to  the  legislature  of  Illi- 
nois when  he  was  twenty-five  years  old,  and  began  the  practice 
of  law  in  Springfield  when  he  was  twenty-eight. 

You  know  the  rest ;  how  he  gradually  built  up  a  good  practice, 
went  to  Congress,  became  a  power  in  his  state,  and  was  chosen 
chief  executive  of  the  nation  in  1860  at  the  age  of  fifty-one.  If 
he  had  remained  a  storekeeper,  or  a  surveyor,  or  a  boatman,  we 
probably  never  would  have  heard  of  him.  He  would  have  done 
his  work  well  and  made  an  honest  living,  and  put  his  spare  time 
into  telling  stories  and  discussing  public  questions  with  his  neigh- 
bors. His  best  power  and  enthusiasm  would  have  been  separated 
from  his  work.  They  would  have  sought  an  outlet  in  his  leisure 
hours,  while  his  work  would  have  been  simply  a  means  of  earn- 
ing a  livelihood.  He  studied  himself  to  find  out  and  develop  his 
best  abilities,  and  persevered  in  preparing  for  and  entering  upon 
a  field  of  usefulness  in  which  his  highest  aptitudes,  abilities,  and 
enthusiasms  could  find  full  scope  and  expression  and  be  united 
with  his  daily  work,  and  that  was  one  of  the  fundamental  reasons 
for  his  great  success. 


16  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

Have  you  found  out  in  what  direction  your  chief  abilities  lie, 
in  what  line  you  are  best  adapted  to  achieve  success,  and  the 
methods  and  principles  to  be  followed  in  your  upward  progress  ? 
If  not,  is  it  not  time  you  began  to  study  yourself  and  your  possi- 
bilities with  a  view  to  making  a  clear  decision  and  building  up 
a  successful  career  in  the  calling  to  which  your  aptitudes,  capaci- 
ties, interests,  and  ambitions  best  adapt  you  ? 

Some  of  the  cases  that  have  come  before  the  Bureau  are 
then  described,  in  order  to  show  how  the  system  works, 
and  an  invitation  is  given  to  any  who  desire  a  consultation 
to  make  an  appointment  with  the  counselor.  Sometimes 
a  considerable  part  of  the  audience  responds  to  this  invi- 
tation. After  a  talk  to  a  class  of  thirty  or  forty  boys,  for 
example,  the  teacher  and  all  the  larger  boys  made  appoint- 
ments which  kept  the  counselor  busy  for  over  two  weeks. 

Many  applicants  also  come  individually  in  response  to 
the  circulars  that  have  been  distributed,  or  press  notices 
that  have  appeared  from  time  to  time. 

The  first  interview  with  an  applicant  generally  requires 
from  fifteen  minutes  to  an  hour.  I  question  him  at  suffi- 
cient length  to  get  a  general  idea  of  his  situation,  sometimes 
asking  him  to  write  the  answers  to  the  questions  in  my  pres- 
ence, but  more  frequently  noting  the  answers  myself  directly 
in  my  Vocation  Register,  a  notebook  of  convenient  size 
which  I  can  easily  carry  about  with  me. 

I  begin  by  getting  the  name  and  address  of  the  appli- 
cant, and  then  ask  him  to  state  his  problem  as  briefly  and 
concisely  as  possible,  taking  not  more  than  one  or  two 
minutes  in  the  recital.  This  frees  his  mind  at  the  burning 
point,  and  makes  him  feel  that  you  have  got  at  the  kernel 
of  his  difficulty  at  the  start,  so  that  he  is  more  ready  and  will- 
ing than  he  otherwise  would  be  to  go  through  a  careful 
questioning  about  all  sorts  of  details  which  must  follow  if 
the  counselor  is  to  gain  a  thorough  understanding  of  the 
case. 

The  sole  condition  of  this  interview  is  that  we  shall  be 


COUNSELORS  AND  APPLICANTS  17 

perfectly  frank  with  each  other.   That  is  the  only  way  in 
which  we  can  get  at  the  valuable  results  that  are  desired. 

I  use,  as  a  rule,  a  course  of  questioning  substantially 
as  follows :  — 

Age? 

Height? 

Weight? 

Health  record  ?  How  much  time  have  you  lost  from  illness  in 
the  last  two  years  ?  Five  years  ?  Ten  years  ? 

What  tests  of  endurance  have  you  undergone  ? 

How  far  can  you  walk  ? 

How  much  can  you  lift  ? 

Is  your  digestion  good  ? 

Are  there  any  hereditary  diseases  in  your  family  ?  If  so,  what  ? 

Where  were  you  born? 

What  is  your  father's  business  ?  His  father's  business  ?  The 
business  of  your  mother's  father?  Of  your  uncles  on  both 
sides?  Of  your  brothers,  if  you  have  any?  The  extent 
and  importance  of  the  business  in  each  case  ?  What  oppor- 
tunity have  you  to  enter  the  business  in  each  case  ?  Are  you 
drawn  toward  your  father's  business,  your  uncle's,  etc.,  or 
do  you  dislike  it  ?  Will  your  father  open  the  way  for  you  to 
make  a  success  in  his  line  ?  Same  with  uncle,  brother,  etc.  ? 

Sometimes  the  family  bent  toward  a  given  line  of  work, 
teaching,  for  example,  or  mechanical  industry,  is  so  marked 
as  to  furnish  one  indication  of  the  probable  direction  in 
which  a  young  man's  aptitudes  may  be  found  to  lie. 
Sometimes,  also,  the  opportunity  for  entering  upon  the 
business  in  which  the  father  or  brother  or  uncle  is  engaged 
is  so  excellent  as  to  furnish  a  strong  reason  for  carefully 
considering  that  course. 

These  considerations,  as  a  rule,  I  do  not  mention  at  the 
time,  but  reserve  them  until  the  end  of  the  examination, 
or  such  time  as  I  may  choose  to  make  suggestions  to  the 
applicant  in  regard  to  his  choice  of  occupation. 

I  next  question  the  applicant  about  his  education,  read- 
ing, etc. 


18  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

What  schooling  have  you  had  ? 

In  what  studies  did  you  make  the  best  records? 

In  what  studies  did  you  make  the  worst  records  ? 

What  studies  did  you  like  the  best? 

What  did  you  like  the  least  ? 

What  rank  did  you  take,  on  the  whole,  in  school  or  at  college  ? 

Did  you  do  your  very  best  with  your  studies,  or  was  your  time 
and  interest  largely  taken  up  with  other  matters,  athletics, 
social  affairs,  etc.  ? 

What  reading  have  you  done  on  your  own  initiative  not  required 
in  connection  with  school  work?  Books,  magazines,  news- 
papers ? 

What  are  your  favorite  books  of  all  you  have  read  ? 

What  are  your  favorite  authors  ? 

Have  you  read  any  history  ?   If  so,  what  ? 

Economics  ? 

Government  ? 

How  do  you  spend  your  spare  time? 

Tell  me  how  you  spent  each  evening  of  last  week  ? 

When  you  have  a  holiday,  what  do  you  do  with  it? 

What  is  it  that  interests  you  most? 

If  you  were  at  the  World's  Fair,  what  would  most  attract  you  ? 
What  would  you  go  to  see  first  ? 

What  are  your  ambitions  ? 

What  man  in  history,  or  what  living  man,  would  you  be  like  if 
you  could  choose  ? 

Such  questions  tend  to  throw  light  on  the  aptitudes  and 
interests  of  the  applicant,  and  also  on  his  weak  points  and 
diversions. 

Next  I  question  the  youth  in  regard  to  his  experience. 

When  did  you  first  go  to  work?  At  what  age? 

What  did  you  do  first? 

How  did  you  get  that  work  ?  Did  the  employer  come  after  you, 
or  did  you  get  the  work  upon  your  own  personal  application, 
or  through  the  efforts  of  your  parents  or  friends  ? 

What  pay  did  you  get  at  the  start? 

How  long  did  you  stay  ? 

Did  you  like  the  work? 

Did  it  meet  with  the  commendation  of  your   employer  or 


COUNSELORS  AND  APPLICANTS  M 

those  in  authority  over  you?  Or  did  they  find  fault  with 
you? 

Why  did  you  leave? 

What  pay  were  you  getting  at  the  end  ? 

What  work  did  you  do  next? 

Repeating  in  regard  to  this  second  and  all  following  ex- 
perience all  the  questions  asked  in  relation  to  the  first  work 
done,  and  any  others  which  may  be  suggested  by  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case. 

Have  you  saved  your  money  and  invested  it  ?  If  so,  how  ? 

How  do  you  spend  your  money  ? 

Is  there  any  one  dependent  upon  you  for  support  ? 

Do  you  smoke  ? 

Do  you  drink  ? 

By  the  time  this  course  of  questioning  is  finished  the 
counselor  is  able,  as  a  rule,  to  classify  the  applicant  with 
a  reasonable  degree  of  accuracy.  The  applicants  fall 
into  two  main  classes :  First,  those  having  well-developed 
aptitudes  and  interests  and  a  practical  basis  for  a  reason- 
able conclusion  in  respect  to  the  choice  of  a  vocation. 
Second,  boys  and  girls  with  so  little  experience  or  manifes- 
tation of  special  aptitudes  or  interests  that  there  is  no  basis 
yet  for  a  wise  decision.  The  latter  are  asked  to  read  books 
and  magazine  articles  about  various  occupations,  and  as 
they  read  to  visit  various  industrial  institutions,  watch 
the  men  at  work,  talk  with  them,  ask  them  how  they  like 
their  work  and  their  pay  and  if  there  is  anything  they  do 
not  like  and  what  it  is,  if  they  would  advise  a  young  man 
to  enter  their  line  of  work  or  not,  and  why.  The  boy  is 
asked  in  some  cases  to  try  his  hand  at  various  occupations, 
—  farming,  taking  care  of  animals,  carpentry,  machin- 
ist's work,  setting  type,  selling  goods,  etc.,  —  to  broaden 
and  deepen  his  practical  experience,  and  bring  to  light 
and  develop  any  special  capacities,  aptitudes,  interests,  and 
abilities  that  may  lie  dormant  in  him  or  be  readily  acquired 
by  him.  After  some  weeks  or  months  of  such  reading,  >**- 
vestigation,  and  practical  self-development,  the  applicant 


20  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

may  come  back  and  have  another  interview,  when  it  may 
be  possible  to  arrive  at  some  definite  conclusion  as  to  what 
line  of  work  it  may  be  best  for  him  to  prepare  himself  for. 

In  dealing  with  the  first  class  of  applicants  it  is  often 
possible  to  make  quite  definite  suggestions  even  at  the  first 
interview,  as  will  be  seen  by  any  one  who  will  carefully 
study  the  records  of  actual  cases  printed  in  this  volume. 

With  such  applicants  I  generally  ask  at  the  close  of  the 
questioning  above  suggested :  — 

If  all  the  boys  in  Boston  were  gathered  here  together  and  a 

naturalist  were  classifying  them  as  he  would  classify  plants 

and  animals,  in  what  division  would  you  belong? 
In  what  respects,  if  any,  would  you  excel  the  mass  of  young 

men,  and  in  what  respects,  if  any,  would  you  be  inferior  to 

most? 
Would  the  classifying  scientist  put  you  in  the  mechanical 

group  or  the  professional  group,  the  executive  group  or  the 

laboring  group? 
Would  he  class  you  as  artistic,  as  intellectual,  or  physical, 

quick  or  slow,  careful  or  careless,  enthusiastic  or  unenthu- 

siastic,  effective  or  ineffective,  etc.  ? 

This  focuses  the  attention  of  the  young  man  on  the 
characteristics  that  have  been  brought  out  during  the 
interview,  and  helps  him  to  place  himself  in  the  class 
where  he  belongs.  Then  we  take  the  tables  that  show  the 
conditions  of  success  in  different  lines  of  industry,  and  go 
over  them  together  in  connection  with  what  has  been 
brought  out  in  relation  to  the  young  man,  to  see  if  any 
valid  conclusions  can  be  drawn  as  to  the  true  relations  be- 
tween the  interests,  aptitudes,  and  ambitions  of  the  appli- 
cant and  the  advantages  and  disadvantages,  and  the  con- 
ditions of  success  in  different  industries. 

If  the  youth  already  has  a  good  start  or  an  excellent  op- 
portunity in  some  line  of  work  for  which  he  is  reasonably 
well  qualified,  the  question  may  come  whether  it  is  not  bet- 
ter for  him  to  follow  up  this  opportunity  than  to  go  off  and 


COUNSELORS  AND  APPLICANTS  21 

try  to  build  up  a  career  in  a  new  line  which,  though  it  may 
be  somewhat  more  attractive  to  him,  is  far  less  easy  of  ac- 
cess and  much  less  certain  to  produce  successful  results. 

With  both  classes  of  applicants  it  is  a  common  thing  for 
the  counselor,  after  a  little  questioning,  to  give  the  youth 
one  of  the  Bureau's  sheets  of  instructions,  and  a  leaflet 
on  personal  investigation  together  with  a  standard  blank 
book  which  we  buy  at  the  rate  of  one  dollar  a  hundred, 
and  ask  the  applicant  to  make  a  careful  study  of  himself 
with  the  help  of  his  friends,  answering  in  the  book  so  far  as 
possible  all  the  questions  in  the  list,  and  then  come  back 
for  another  interview. 

The  case  may  be  so  clear  that  this  is  not  necessary ;  but 
where  the  questions  of  the  counselor  do  not  bring  out  de- 
cided aptitudes  and  abilities  or  clear  indications  of  wise 
policy  in  the  choice  of  an  occupation,  this  fuller  study  should 
be  made  by  the  applicant,  and  it  is  an  excellent  thing  for 
him  to  make  it  in  any  case,  though  not  by  any  means 
essential  in  all. 

While  I  am  questioning  the  applicant  about  his  prob- 
able health,  education,  reading,  experience,  etc.,  I  carefully 
observe  the  shape  of  his  head,  the  relative  development 
above,  before,  and  behind  the  ears,  his  features  and  ex- 
pression, color,  vivacity,  voice,  manner,  pose,  general  air 
of  vitality,  enthusiasm,  etc. 

The  answers  to  the  questions  above  suggested  and  the 
way  in  which  the  answers  are  given  generally  afford  a 
good  idea  of  the  young  man's  mental  development;  his 
memory,  reason,  imagination  are  practically  an  open  book 
to  one  who  will  question  him  carefully  in  detail  for  half 
or  three  quarters  of  an  hour.  And  his  business  experience, 
the  attitude  of  employers  toward  him  and  his  attitude 
toward  them,  his  reasons  for  leaving  this,  that,  and  the 
other  place,  all  afford  evidence  of  his  disposition,  effi- 
ciency, and  general  character. 

But  special  tests  may  be  applied  wherever  the  counselor 


22  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

may  deem  it  best.  For  instance,  the  memory  may  be 
tested  by  reading  to  the  applicant  from  some  book  of  good 
English  sentences  of  10,  15,  20,  30,  50  words,  and  asking 
the  applicant  to  repeat  the  sentence  read.  He  may  also 
be  asked  to  read  himself  and  then  repeat  or  write  the 
sentences.  If  he  can  remember  only  10  or  12  words  cor- 
rectly, his  verbal  memory  is  poor;  if  he  can  remember 
40  or  50  words,  it  is  pretty  good.  The  readiness  and  cer- 
tainty with  which  he  can  give  dates  and  details  in  regard 
to  his  business  experience  and  of  his  past  life  is  in  itself 
an  excellent  memory  test. 

Sometimes  the  counselor  may  wish  to  test  the  nerve  and 
delicacy  of  touch.  One  way  to  do  this  is  to  have  a  series 
of  very  small  circles  a  sixteenth  or  a  thirty-second  of  an 
inch  in  diameter,  and  giving  the  applicant  a  fine-pointed 
pencil,  ask  him  to  put  a  dot  precisely  in  the  centre  of  each 
little  circle  and  one  exactly  in  the  middle  between  each 
two  circles,  and  make  a  certain  mark  at  a  given  point  on 
each  of  the  circles  in  the  group. 

Rapidity  can  be  judged  by  testing  the  swiftness  of 
reading  and  writing  and  walking,  and  if  a  psychologic 
laboratory  or  some  psychologic  apparatus  is  available,  it 
is  easy  to  apply  much  more  accurate  tests  through  the 
phenomena  of  reaction-time,  association-time,  etc.,  than 
are  readily  available  without  scientific  apparatus. 

If  the  applicant's  head  is  largely  developed  behind  the 
ears,  with  big  neck,  low  forehead,  and  small  upper  head, 
he  is  probably  of  an  animal  type,  and  if  the  other  symp- 
toms coincide  he  should  be  dealt  with  on  that  basis. 

If  the  voice  is  harsh,  or  unpleasant,  or  lacking  in  vitality, 
I  generally  give  the  youth  a  lecture  on  the  value  of  voice 
culture  and  the  use  of  clear,  sweet,  wTell-modulated  tones 
in  conversation. 

If  the  face  is  blank  and  expressionless,  a  talk  about  the 
economic  value  of  the  smile  is  in  order. 

If  the  handshake  is  listless  or  wet,  clammy  or  too  force- 


COUNSELORS  AND  APPLICANTS  23 

ful,  it  is  well  to  call  the  young  man's  attention  to  his 
defects  in  this  respect.  So  if  the  manners  are  in  any  way 
objectionable  or  undeveloped,  the  boy  should  be  frankly 
but  kindly  told  and  urged  to  correct  his  errors. 

In  other  words,  the  counselor  should  use  the  utmost 
frankness  and  kindliness  in  a  friendly  effort  to  enable  the 
applicant  to  see  himself  exactly  as  others  see  him,  and 
correct  whatever  defects  may  stand  in  the  way  of  his  ad- 
vancement. 

If  the  young  man  has  not  developed  a  proper  interest  in 
civic  affairs,  the  counselor  may  try  to  quicken  his  develop- 
ment as  a  citizen  by  making  suggestions  in  relation  to 
books  that  he  may  read  or  organizations  that  he  may  join 
in  order  to  bring  out  that  side  of  his  nature.  If  the  young 
man  has  any  bad  habits,  the  counselor's  questioning  in  re- 
lation to  how  he  spends  his  spare  tune,  how  he  spends  his 
money,  etc.,  is  pretty  apt  to  bring  out  the  facts.  And  then 
it  is  the  counselor's  duty,  in  a  mild  and  kindly  but  firm  and 
energetic  way,  to  make  suggestions  that  will  show  the  young 
man  clearly  the  disadvantages  of  such  habits  and  what  will 
be  the  outcome  if  he  persists  in  following  them. 

The  counselor  will  find  it  greatly  to  his  advantage  if  he 
will  commit  to  memory  the  series  of  questions  above  sug- 
gested, or  their  equivalent,  so  that  he  can  ask  them  readily 
without  referring  to  any  written  or  printed  memoranda. 
The  spontaneity  of  the  examination  is  very  important  in 
securing  the  best  results.  The  counselor  should  also  fa- 
miliarize himself  with  the  specimen  cases  printed  in  this 
book,  so  that  they  may  be  to  him  what  the  leading  ques- 
tions in  the  law  become  to  a  first-class  judge  or  lawyer. 
Every  one  of  our  leading  questions  should  be  firmly  fixed 
in  the  memory,  so  that  when  a  new  case  occurs  analogous 
to  one  on  record,  the  latter  will  immediately  come  to  the 
mind  of  the  counselor  to  aid  him  in  classifying  the  appli- 
cant and  making  suggestions  that  may  be  most  advan- 
tageous to  him.  No  close  adherence  to  precedent  is 


24  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

urged,  of  course,  but  only  so  clear  and  thorough  a  grasp 
of  our  leading  cases  that  they  may  be  used  to  throw  con- 
stant light  on  the  new  problems  that  arise.  The  counselor 
should  also  make  a  special  effort  to  master  and  use  the 
concrete  form  of  suggestions.  Instead  of  simply  saying  to 
the  mistaken  would-be  doctor :  "  You  would  probably  be 
at  a  great  disadvantage  in  the  pursuit  of  that  profession," 
say  to  him,  after  bringing  clearly  to  his  mind  the  contrast 
between  himself  and  the  ideal  doctor,  something  like  this : 
"  Do  you  want  to  run  a  race  with  an  iron  ball  tied  around 
your  leg,  or  would  you  rather  enter  a  race  where  you  can 
run  free  like  the  rest?"  So  again,  instead  of  saying  to  a 
youth:  "  You  have  got  a  pretty  good  start  where  you  are; 
why  not  stay  and  develop  that?  "  put  the  matter  in  some 
such  form  as  this :  "  You  have  a  house  half  or  two  thirds 
built,  the  walls  well  up,  almost  ready  to  put  the  roof  on;  now 
is  it  wise  to  leave  the  building  you  have  so  nearly  completed 
and  go  off  to  a  new  location,  dig  a  new  cellar  and  begin 
building  all  over  again,  when  you  do  not  know  that  you  will 
like  the  new  building  any  better  than  this  one,  after  you 
get  it?" 

This  picture-method  of  presenting  the  case  never  fails 
to  interest  the  youth,  and  often  proves  far  more  convincing 
than  any  form  of  direct  statement  that  could  be  used. 

The  counselor  should  gather  for  himself  all  possible  in- 
formation in  regard  to  the  conditions  of  success  in  dif- 
ferent lines  of  work  and  the  distribution  of  demand  in 
different  industries,  supplementing  our  tables  by  original 
research.  He  should  also  have  full  information  in  regard 
to  courses  of  study,  so  that  he  can  aid  the  applicant  in 
choosing  the  best  means  of  preparation  for  the  calling  he 
decides  upon.  The  counselor  will  do  well  also  to  gather 
biographic  data  relating  to  the  characteristics  of  leading 
men  in  their  youth,  and  the  relation  between  these  youth- 
ful traits  and  the  development  of  later  life.  If  possible,  a 
picture  of  the  boy  and  of  the  man  in  his  maturity  should  be 


COUNSELORS   AND   APPLICANTS  25 

secured  to  go  with  each  one  of  these  skeleton  biographies. 
Such  pictures  and  materials  may  be  obtained  in  many 
cases  from  leading  magazines  and  other  publications,  or 
may  be  had  in  response  to  direct  communication  with  the 
men  whose  biographic  data  are  wanted.  Such  skeleton 
biographies  will  be  found  of  the  greatest  interest  to  young 
men  and  women  who  are  trying  to  decide  upon  their  life 
work,  and  will  prove  most  useful  to  the  counselor  in  mak- 
ing up  his  mind  as  to  the  classification  of  the  applicant,  his 
future  possibilities,  and  the  suggestions  it  may  be  best  for 
the  counselor  to  make  to  him. 


IV 

EXTENDED  DISCUSSION  OF  PERSONAL  DATA 

As  I  have  already  said,  no  general  rule  can  be  given  that 
will  fit  all  cases.  The  method  must  be  varied  with  the 
varying  personal  situations.  A  fifteen-minute  interview  will 
often  bring  the  counselor  to  a  definite  opinion  as  to  the  ad- 
vice to  be  given.  In  many  cases,  however,  the  problem  is 
extremely  difficult,  and  the  counselor  will  wish  to  go  into 
minute  details  with  the  applicant.  For  this  purpose  the 
following  form  is  given  at  the  risk  of  some  repetition.  The 
counselor  can  seldom  take  time  to  go  into  all  this  close 
analysis  with  the  applicant,  but  the  questions  should  be 
handed  to  the  applicant,  who  can  take  them  home  and 
make  them  the  basis  of  a  thorough  self-study. 

To  the  applicant  for  vocational  counsel:  — 

After  you  have  written  the  answers  to  the  following  questions 
as  far  as  you  can,  the  counselor  will  meet  you  to  discuss  the 
record  and  any  other  questions  the  counselor  may  wish  to  ask, 
and  to  consider  the  problems  of  vocation,  location,  preparation, 
and  development  that  you  may  desire  to  deal  with,  —  what  occu- 
pations you  are  best  adapted  to,  the  opportunities  for  employ- 
ment in  them,  and  the  best  means  for  the  preparation  and  build- 
ing up  of  a  successful  career. 

The  counselor  will  also  aid  you  in  coming  to  true  conclusions 
on  points  of  the  schedule  regarding  which  self-judgment  may  be 
difficult.  But  you  should  first  do  the  best  you  can  by  self-exami- 
nation, with  such  help  as  you  may  get  from  your  family,  friends, 
teachers,  employers,  and  critics.  Ask  them  to  tell  you  what  they 
think  of  you  in  relation  to  the  various  elements  of  manners,  mind, 
character,  etc.,  given  below,  and  assure  them  that  you  want  to 
know  the  truth,  because  you  want  to  get  acquainted  with  yourself. 

If  you  hide  your  limitations  and  defects  from  yourself,  you  may 


DISCUSSION  OF  PERSONAL  DATA  27 

hinder  your  advancement  quite  as  much  as  by  neglecting  your 
abilities  and  opportunities. 

All  the  information  and  assistance  we  can  give  are  freely  at 
your  service,  but  the  more  light  you  can  bring  to  bear  on  the 
problem  from  your  own  observation,  reading,  and  experience,  the 
better  it  will  be  for  the  clearness  and  strength  of  the  conclusions 
arrived  a^,  an  I  the  ;  erir  inent  value  of  the  results  attained. 

The  first  <st  p  is  elf-1-  ud; .  To  Know  Thyself  is  the  funda- 
mental re  !uis'  .  1  'Hciency,  success,  and  happiness  depend  very 
largely  on  adaptation  to  your  work.  You  have  therefore  to  inves- 
tigate yourself,  with  the  aid  of  the  counselor  and  your  friends, 
in  order  to  determine  your  capacities,  interests,  resources,  and 
limitations,  so  that  you  may  compare  yourself  with  the  condi- 
tions of  success  in  different  industries. 

Perfect  truth  and  frankness  with  yourself  and  the  counselor 
are  absolutely  essential  to  the  best  results. 

Try  to  see  yourself  as  others  see  you,  and  plan  the  future  with 
a  real  knowledge  of  the  nature,  resources,  and  conditions  you 
have  to  deal  with,  the  purposes  you  may  reasonably  hope  to  ac- 
complish, and  the  means  by  which  you  can  move  steadily  toward 
the  best  success  of  which  you  are  capable. 

Write  your  answers  on  ordinary  letter  sheets  8x10.  Use  only 
one  side  of  the  paper.  Number  each  answer  to  correspond  with 
the  question. 

PERSONAL  RECORD  AND  SELF-ANALYSIS. 

PART  I. 

1.  Name. 

2.  Address. 

3.  Where  born  and  brought  up. 

4.  Family  you  were  born  in;  total  number  in  it. 

5.  Ages  of  father  and  mother. 

6.  Nationality  of  father  and  mother. 

7.  Number  and  ages  of  brothers  and  sisters. 

8.  Business  or  occupation  of  father,  brothers,  uncles,  and 

other  near  relatives. 

9.  Health  of  family;  sickness  record. 

10.  Do  you  live  with  the  family? 

11.  Ancestry — grandfathers,  great-grandfathers,  etc.,  nation- 

ality and  residence. 

12.  Occupation  and  resources. 


28  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

13.  Physique,  health,  hereditary  diseases. 

14.  Length  of  life. 

15.  Characteristics,  special  traits  of  body,  mind,  and  character. 

16.  Your  age. 

17.  Married  or  single.    Your  family  if  married. 

18.  Height  and  weight. 

19.  Health. 

20.  Sickness  record. 

21.  How  much  time  have  you  lost  by  sickness  in  the  last  five 

years  ? 

22.  Strength :      What  tests  have  you  undergone  ? 

23.  What  hard  work  have  you  done? 

24.  How  much  have  you  lifted? 

25.  Endurance :   How  far  have  you  walked  in  one        State 

triP?  ft'ts 

Give  distance  and  number  of  hours        wjth 

it  took.  dates, 

26.  Courage:      How   have   you    acted    when    in 

,  J  .  ...  near 

danger,  or  sunenng  pain,  disap-        g^  vou 

pointment,  or  loss  ?  can. 

27.  Compare  yourself  as  to  strength, 

endurance,  and  courage,  with 
others  of  your  age,  and  with  the 
best  standards  you  know  or  have 
heard  of. 

28.  Habits  as  to  fresh  air,  exercise,  bathing,  and  diet. 

29.  Do  you  sleep  with  your  windows  open  ? 

30.  Do  you  breathe  deeply  in  the  fresh  air  every  day? 

31.  How  often  do  you  bathe? 

32.  Have  you  studied  physiology  and  hygiene? 

33.  Habits  as  to  smoking. 

34.  Drinking. 

35.  Use  of  drugs. 

36.  Other  forms  of  dissipation. 

37.  Education  and  training. 

38.  General  education. 

39.  In  school,  what  schools  ? 

40.  Best  records  in  school,  prizes. 

41.  Poorest  records,  in  what? 

42.  Out  of  school,  by 

43.  Reading,  what,  how,  results. 


DISCUSSION   OF  PERSONAL  DATA  23 

44.  Favorite  books. 

45.  Favorite  authors. 

46.  Teaching      ) 

47.  Working        >  What  have  you  learned  by  these  means  ? 

48.  Association   ) 

49.  Industrial  education. 

50  What  courses  and  when  ? 

51.  Manual  skill,  drawing,  use  of  tools,  etc. 

52.  Sketches   from   memory  (Consult  with  counselor  about 

filling  in  this  question). 

53.  Experience  and  present  use  of  time. 

54.  Positions  held  and  work  done,  pay,  and  length  of  time  in 

each  case. 

55.  Reasons  for  leaving  in  each  case. 

56.  Attitude  towards  employers  —  cordial  and  sympathetic, 

or  not. 

57.  Do  you  watch  for  the  bell  to  ring  and  stop  as  soon  as  it 

stops  ? 

What  are  the  prospects  of  rising  where  you  are  ?  Are  you 
on  friendly  terms  with  your  bosses  ?  Have  employers 
said  anything  in  commendation  or  complaint  ? 
68.  Do  you  realize  that  wages  depend  largely  on  the  efficiency 
and  productive  value  of  the  workers  ? 

59.  Do  you  hope  to  be  an  employer  yourself  some  day  ? 

60.  By  what  methods  does  advancement  generally  come,  accord- 

ing to  your  observation? 

61.  Through  what  means  do  you  hope  to  secure  advancement? 

62.  Savings. 

63.  How  do  you  spend  your  money  ? 

Why  have  n't  you  saved  more  of  your  money  ? 

64.  Most  interesting  or  notable  things  in  your  life. 

65.  Likes  and  dislikes,  pictures,  music,  theatre,  books,  dogs, 

horses,  athletics,  etc. 

66.  Favorite  amusements. 

67.  How  your  evenings  are  spent. 

68.  How  each  evening  last  week  was  spent. 

69.  Dominant  (or  ruling)  motives  and  interests. 

70.  What  do  you  look  for  first  in  the  newspapers  ? 

71 .  What  would  you  buy  and  do  next  week  if  you  had  a  million 

dollars  left  you  ? 

72.  Is  there  anything  you  would  rather  have  than  money? 


30  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

73.  If  so,  what  ? 

74.  On  what  occasions  have  you  put  forth  your  strongest 

efforts? 

75.  For  what  purposes? 

76.  If  you  were  to  visit  a  great  international  exhibition  like  that  at 

St.  Louis  a  few  years  ago,  or  the  Centennial  at  Philadel- 
phia, or  the  World's  Fair  at  Chicago,  where  you  could  see 
splendid  grounds  and  buildings,  beautiful  fountains  and 
electric  lighting  effects,  magnificent  collections  of  manu- 
factured goods,  agricultural,  dairy,  forestry  and  mining 
products  from  all  the  leading  countries,  machinery,  paint- 
ings and  sculpture,  educational  and  governmental  exhibits, 
men  and  women  of  many  nations,  wild  animals,  military 
and  naval  displays,  etc.,  etc.,  what  would  interest  you  most  ? 

What  would  you  want  to  see  first? 

What  would  claim  your  chief  attention? 

What  would  come  second  in  attractiveness  for  you? 
Third?   Fourth? 

What  would  have  least  interest  for  you? 

77.  If  you  could  travel  wherever  you  wished,  what  countries  or 

regions  would  you  visit  first? 

78.  Why?  Give  reasons  for  each  of  the  countries  or  regions 
you  specially  wish  to  see. 

79.  Ambitions. 

80.  What  would  you  be  and  do  if  you  could  ? 

81.  If  you  had  Aladdin's  lamp  and  could  have  your  every  wish 

fulfilled,  what  would  be  your  first  half-dozen  wishes  ? 

82.  Important  things  you  have  accomplished. 

83.  Distinguishing      characteristics,      .  *f  af!1  the  b(f  «»d  girls 

&         .  .          ,.,.  .  in  Boston  were  to  meet  to  be 

aptitudes,  capacities,  abilities,  compared  with  you,  in  what 

and  attainments.  respects,  if  any,  would  you 

84.  Limitations   and   defects   to   be  excel  most  of  them,  and  in 

.      .  what  would  you  be  inferior 

recognized.  to  most? 

85.  Compare  your  distinguishing  abilities  and  limitations  with 

the  conditions  of  success  in  different  callings,  especially  in 
those  that  lie  in  the  direction  of  your  ambition,  as  shown 
by  the  careers  of  men  and  women  who  have  been  successful 
in  that  line,  and  of  those  who  have  failed  in  it. 

86.  Have  you  studied  the  lives  of  Lincoln,  Franklin,  Garfield, 

Garrison,   Phillips,   Roosevelt,  Gladstone,   WTanamaker, 


DISCUSSION  OF  PERSONAL  DATA  31 

Edison,  and  others,  so  as  to  discover  as  far  as  you  can  the 
laws  of  success,  —  why  and  how  some  men  succeed,  and 
what  are  the  causes  of  failure  ? 

87.  Resources. 

88.  Financial. 

89.  Relatives. 

90.  Friends. 

91.  Organizations  you  are  connected  with  and  how. 

92.  Organizing  ability.  Evidence.  What  organizations  have  you 

been  instrumental  in  forming? 

93.  Describe  briefly  what  you  did,  and  the  results. 

94.  Environment. 

95.  What  places  have  you  lived  in  ? 

96.  If  towns,  or  cities,  give  street  and  number  in  each  case. 

97.  Dates  also,  if  possible,  or  your  age,  as  nearly  as  you  can,  in 

each  place. 

98.  Describe  the  neighborhoods  of  each  residence. 

99.  Trees,  grass,  flowers,  water,  scenery? 

100.  Class  of  people  you  were  living  among  in  each  case. 

101.  What  did  they  work  at  ? 

102.  What  were  their  amusements? 

103.  What  kind  of  life  did  they  lead  ? 

104.  Did  you  mingle  with  them  freely? 

105.  As  one  of  them  ? 

106.  If  not,  what  were  your  relations  with  them  and  your 

attitude  toward  them  ? 

107.  Which,  if  any,  of  your  residences  were  your  own  choice? 

108.  Reasons  for  your  choice  in  each  case  ? 

109.  Who  selected  the  other  residences  ? 

110.  Why? 

111.  What  sort  of  people  do  you  prefer  to  live  with  now  ? 

112.  Why? 

113.  What  effect  do  you  think  your  locational  environment  has 

had  on  your  ideals  and  ambitions,  habits  of  thought  and 
action,  industrial  opportunities  and  adaptability? 

114.  Would  your  opportunities  and  chances  of  suc- 

cess be  greater  in  a  smaller  place,  or  in  the  ,  vf ,reaso.ns 

r  for  the  opin- 

country  ?  ions  you  gj. 

115.  In  the  West  or  South?  press  on 

116.  In  Europe,  Africa,  New  Zealand,  or  Australia  ?    these  P°ints' 


32 


CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 


PART   II. 

The  counselor  will  help  you  to  reach  correct  conclusions  on 
these  points,  but  you  should  first  make  the  best  judgments  you 
can  by  means  of  self -investigation  and  the  help  of  your  family, 
friends,  teachers,  employers,  critics,  —  any  one  who  will  tell  you 
what  they  really  think  about  you.  What  they  say  may  not  be 
wholly  right,  —  they  may  make  mistakes,  or  they  may  be  preju- 
diced in  your  favor  or  against  you,  —  but  their  statements  are 
valuable  evidence  to  be  considered  by  you  in  making  up  your 
mind  what  the  truth  really  is. 

Appearance,  Manners,  Conversation,  etc. 

Figure,  slim,  medium,  thick-set,  fat, 
plump,  angular,  straight,  or  crooked, 
bent,  round  -  shouldered,  hollow- 
chested,  bow-legged,  or  otherwise  de- 
fective. 

Face,  color,  outline,  features,  symmetry, 
expression. 

Hair,  color,  quantity,  outline,  adapta- 
tion to  face  and  figure. 
Dress,  colors,  fit,  style,  adaptation. 

Do  you  give  much  attention  to  dress  ? 

How  long  does  it  take  you  to  dress  ? 

How  much  do  your  clothes  cost  a  year, 
including  hats,  shoes,  neckties,  under- 
wear, and  all  apparel  ? 

Do  you  take  expert  advice  as  to  color, 

style,  fit,  etc.  ? 

Neatness.      Are  your   collars    and    cuffs 
Caucasian  ? 

Are  you  careful  to  be  clean  and  neat 
in  dress  and  person  ? 

Or   do  you  wear  your    finger-nails  in 

mourning  and  your  linen  overtime  ? 
Postures,  sitting  and  standing. 

Are  they  refined,  graceful,  vigorous,  or 
the  contrary? 

Do  you  stand  straight  or  stooping? 

Do  you  sit  upright,  chest  out,  or  loll  a 
limp  heap  in  your  chair? 


Look  in  the  glass. 
Watch  yourself. 
Get  your  friends  to 
look  you  over 
in  private  and  in 
public,  and  tell  you 
confidentially  what 
they  think  of  your 
appearance,  manners, 
voice,  etc. 
You  can  do  the 
same  for  them  if 
they  are  willing. 

Compare  yourself 
in  every  detail  with 
people     you     admire 
and  with  those  you 
dislike,  and  study 
how  to  acquire  the 
excellences  of  the 
former  and  avoid 
the  faults  of  the 
latter. 

Get  your  family 
and    friends    to    help 
you  recognize  your 
defects,  and  tell 
you  every  time  you 
fail  to  come  up  to 
the  standard  you  set 
for  yourself. 


DISCUSSION  OF  PERSONAL  DATA  33 

Do  you  carry  your  chin  forward,  or  your 

head  tilted  to  one  side  ? 
Motions,  rapid  or  slow,  graceful  or  not, 

excessive  or  not. 

Smile,  frequent,  rare,  or  absent,  intermit- 
tent or  perpetual,  natural  or  forced, 

friendly  or  supercilious,  frank  or  cor- 
dial, or  cunning  and  unsympathetic, 

attractive  or  repellent. 
Do  you  smile  naturally  and  easily  and 

feel  the  smile  in  your  heart,  or  is  your 

face  ordinarily  expressionless,  or  tinged 

with  frowns,  scowls,  sneers,  or  in  any 

way  uninviting  or  repellent  ? 
Do  you  realize  the  economic  and  social 

value    of    natural,    friendly,    cordial 

smiles,  and   of   merry  laughter,  not 

so  loud  or  frequent  as   to   become 

annoying  or  monotonous  ? 
Do  you   cultivate    smiling   as    one    of 

the  winning   graces  that   make   life 

richer  ? 
And  do  you  cultivate  smiles  and  laughter  by  right  methods, — 

not  mechanically  but  at  the  root,  by  cultivating  the  merry 

moods  and  friendly  feelings  that  naturally  express  themselves 

in  smiles  ? 

Handshake,  warm  and  cordial,  or  wet,  clammy,  listless,  medium 
pressure,  no  pressure,  or  a  vice-like  grip  that  makes  the  indi- 
vidual regard  you  as  a  relic  of  the  Inquisition,  hasty,  moderate, 
or  long-drawn-out,  quiet,  or  with  one  or  two  movements,  or 
with  pump-handle  motions,  more  or  less  numerous  and  exten- 
sive. 
Do  you  shake  hands  like  a  steam  engine,  or  a  stick,  or  an  icicle, 

or  like  a  cordial  friend  ? 
Have  you  cultivated  a  handshake  that,  is  warm  and  hearty, 

and  yet  not  so  strong  as  to  be  uncomfortable,  nor  so  weak  as 

to  seem  indifferent? 

Manners,  in  general,  quiet,  noisy,  boisterous,  deferential  or  self- 
assertive,  listening  politely  or  interrupting  and  contradicting. 
Careful  of  etiquette  at  table  or  not. 
Are  you  thoughtful  of  the  comfort  of  others  ? 


34  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

Are  you  frank,  kindly,  cordial,  respectful,  courteous  in  word 
and  actions  ? 

Do  you  love  people  and  show  your  friendliness  in  voice  and 
manner  ? 

Or  do  you  feel  and  show  indifference  and  dislike  ? 

Do  you  look  people  frankly  in  the  eye  ?  Or  do  you  avoid  their 
gaze  ?  If  so  ask  yourself  why. 

Do  you  whistle  or  hum  or  make  little  noises  with  hands  or  feet, 
where  others  may  be  disturbed  thereby? 

Have  you  any  habits  little  or  big  that  may  be  disagreeable  to 

others  ? 

Voice,  inflections.  —  Is  your  voice  soft  or  loud,  clear,  smooth, 
musical,  full  of  vitality;  or  rough,  harsh,  unmusical,  clouded, 
husky,  nasal,  languid,  gloomy,  discouraged? 

Are  you  careful  about  modulation,  emphasis,  and  inflection? 

Do  you  talk  pretty  much  on  one  tone  or  a  few  tones,  or  do  you 
watch  the  tones  of  speech  that  please  you  in  others  and  the 
emphasis  that  gives  form  and  color  to  spoken  words,  and 
adopt  the  best  examples  for  your  own  use? 

Are  your  inflections  natural,  cheery,  courteous,  respectful, 
modest,  musical;  or  aggressive,  discourteous,  self-assertive, 
conceited,  affected,  unmusical,  pessimistic,  repellent? 

Have  you  cultivated  your  voice  ? 

Do  you  take  care  to  pronounce  your  words  clearly  and  cor- 
rectly ? 

Conversation.  —  Can  you  readily  enter  into  conversation  with 
new  people  ? 

Are  you  at  ease  with  them  ? 

Do  you  try  to  find  out  what  they  would  like  to  talk  about  and 
make  the  conversation  agreeable  to  them,  or  do  you  expect 
them  to  listen  to  the  things  that  interest  you  ? 

Do  you  talk  a  good  deal  about  yourself,  your  business,  your 
ideas,  your  ailments,  and  other  accomplishments,  or  mostly 
about  public  questions,  or  about  the  weather,  the  crops 
and  the  current  scandals,  murder  trials,  etc.  ? 

Are  you  a  good  listener,  sympathetic,  and  really  trying  to  get  at 
the  thought  of  your  friend,  or  do  you  simply  tolerate  his  talk 
and  spend  the  time  in  thinking  what  you  will  say  when  he 
gets  through? 

Do  you  do  most  of  the  talking,  or  do  you  draw  out  your  com- 
panions and  listen  to  them  most  of  the  time  ? 


DISCUSSION  OF  PERSONAL  DATA  35 

Do  you  smile  when  they  differ  from  you  and  quietly  state  the 
facts  and  reasons  for  your  view,  or  say  you  think  there  is 
force  in  what  they  say  and  you  will  think  it  over;  or  do  you 
show  irritation  at  their  stupidity  in  disagreeing  with  you, 
assert  your  conclusion  and  deny  theirs  with  heat,  and  per- 
haps call  them  hard  names  or  slur  their  intelligence  ? 

Have  you  studied  conversation  as  a  fine  art  ?  Do  you  prepare 
for  it,  —  look  up  or  think  up  and  fix  freshly  in  mind  some 
pleasant  and  interesting  things  to  say  when  you  meet  people  ? 
You  can  put  on  some  good  ideas,  as  well  as  a  good  coat  and  a 
clean  shirt,  when  you  go  out  to  spend  the  evening. 
Personal  atmosphere,  cheery,  animated,  vivacious,  full  of  good 

nature,  or  solemn,  sleepy,  indifferent,  taciturn,  morose. 
Mind    and    sense,    powers    of 

attention,  observation,  mem- 

ory, reason,  imagination,  in- 

ventiveness,    thoughtfulness, 

receptiveness,    quickness    or        yOU  noted  what  powers  you  excel 

stupidity,     analytic     power,         m  and  what  you  are  deficient  in, 

constructiveness,       breadth,        ™  T$r?VWi!?/OUr  comPa'?- 

ions  t  What  light  do  your  records 

grasp.  in  school  and  at  work  throw  on 

Faculties  specially  developed.        the  question  ? 

Faculties  specially  deficient.  Ha.v.e    vou    asked    your    family, 

p,            ,  ,  r  ,  friends,  and  teachers  to  help  you 

rorm  ot  head.  locate  your  strong  points   and 

Sight,  normal,  near  or  far,  color  your  weak  ones  ? 

sense,  acute  or  medium,  or  Have  y°u  considered  how  much  is 

,      ,,.    ,  due  to  capacity,  and  how  much 

color  blindness.  to  trainin£  or  g^  lack  of  u  ? 

Hearing,  normal,  defective,  or 

acute. 
Smell,  normal,  defective,  or 

acute. 
Knowledge 

of  self,  motives,  abilities,  weaknesses,  etc.  State  what 

e  u  means  you 

of  human  nature.  have  ^  to 


of  business  or  industry.  get  a  know- 

of  government.  ledge  of  these 

of  laws  and  causes.  things- 

of  things,  cities,  countries,  etc. 

of  language. 

of  law. 

of  medicine. 


36 


CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 


Mark  the 
classes  of  books 
you  are  most 
familiar  with,  and 
the  best  books 
you  have  read  in 
each  class  you  mark. 


of  science,  physiology,  hygiene,  psy- 
chology, sociology,  ethics,  econom- 
ics, physics,  chemistry,  metallurgy, 
mechanics,  agriculture,  horticulture, 
forestry,  entomology,  botany,  zool- 
ogy, biology,  geology,  astronomy, 
mathematics,  arithmetic,  algebra, 
geometry,  analytic  geometry,  descrip- 
tive geometry,  calculus,  quaternions, 
surveying,  engineering,  architecture. 

Mark  the  sciences  you  have  studied  in  school  with  an  (S),  if 
in  college  mark  with  a  (C),  and  those  you  have  read  on  your 
own  account  mark  (R),  and  give  the  name  of  the  book  and 
author. 

Of  history  and  biography. 

Of  literature,  fiction,  philosophy,  essays,  humor,  nature  books,  etc. 
Skill.  What  ability  have  you  to  put  your  knowledge  in  action,  to 
express  your  ideas  through  your  body? 

What  training  and  skill  of  hand  have  you  in  indus- 
try? 

Do  you  draw,  paint,  or  sculp? 
Do  you  play  any  instrument?    What? 
Can  you  read  or  speak  in  public? 

What  have  you  done  in  this  line  ? 
Can  you  act  or  imitate  others  ? 

What  have  you  done  in  this  direction? 
Do  you  sing  ?   What  part,  etc.  ? 

Can  you  impart  your  knowledge  ?  Can  you  teach  ? 
Character. 

Nothing  is  more  vital  than  this.  Health,  ability,  and  character 
are  the  main  factors  in  the  best  success.  High  character  linked 
with  ability  —  power  and  training  of  mind  and  body  —  can 
accomplish  almost  anything. 

In  examining  your  characteristics  and  making  up  your  mind 
what  traits  should  be  developed  and  what  repressed  or  extin- 
guished, there  are  some  broad  tests  you  can  use  to  great  advan- 
tage.   Ask  yourself  the  following  questions,  and  act  on  the  an- 
swers you  get  from  your  conscience  and  insight :  — 
(1)  "Would  I  like  to  have  a  strong  novelist,  like  Victor  Hugo, 
Walter  Scott,  Thackeray,  Howells,  or  the  author  of  'Sher- 
lock   Holmes,'   describe   me   just   03   I   am,  —  acts,   words, 


Skill  of 
the  hand 


Public 
Speaking. 

Singing. 


DISCUSSION  OF  PERSONAL  DATA  37 

thoughts,  motives,  turning  the  light  on  so  the  whole  world 
would  know  the  exact  truth  about  me  ?  " 

(2)  "  What  changes  would  I  like  to  make  in  the  picture  ? " 

(3)  "Can  I  not  make  those  changes,  or  many  of  them,  in  the 

original  ?" 

(4)  "Am  I  the  kind  of  man  I  wish  my  sister  to  associate  with, 

become  intimate  with,  and  marry?  If  not,  am  I  fit  to 
associate  with  her  and  with  my  mother  and  other  nice 
people  ?  " 

(5)  "Am  I  the  kind  of  man  I 'd  like  to  see  the  world  full  of  ?  If 

not,  what  improvements  must  I  put  on  myself  in  order  to 
win  my  own  approval,  and  attain  the  type  of  manhood 
I  would  be  willing  to  have  increase  and  multiply  and 
occupy  the  planet?" 

You  can  test  yourself  in  greater  detail  by  putting  a  cross  be- 
neath each  word  that  is  in  capitals,  in  the  following  list  of  char- 
acteristics, which  seems  to  you  fairly  applicable  to  yourself. 

If  you  judge  yourself  to  come  between  the  traits  named,  as  if 
you  think  you  are  neither  painstaking  nor  reckless,  put  your  cross 
mark  on  the  line  between  the  two  extremes. 

Do  not  fail  to  read  the  side  notes  carefully,  and  act  on  their 
suggestions  to  the  best  of  your  ability. 

Do    not    place    too 
much  weight  on  your 

HONEST  DISHONEST  estimates  of  your  own 

TRUTHFUL  UNTRUTHFUL  character,  but  do  your 

CANDID  DECEITFUL  £»*  ^  £""  tr"?  Judg- 

ments    by    looking    at 

PROMPT  DILATORY  your   acts   and    words 

RELIABLE  UNRELIABLE  and  motives  and  judg- 

TRUSTWORTHY  UNTRUSTWORTHY      ^g  them  as  you  would 

it  they  were  the  acts, 

In  weighing  yourself  on  this  count,  ask     words,  and  motives  of 
yourself  whether  you   do  things  that     another  person. 
-  .,          -j          -j  f  j-  i  After    marking    the 

you  would  consider  evidence  of  dishon-     words  that  seem  to  ap- 

esty  or  untrustworthiness  if  others  did     ply  to  you,  submit  the 

them;  and  whether,  if  you  were  an  em-  PaPer  to  Wends  who 

,  ,  ,  .  ,  know  you  well,  to  see 

ployer,  you  would  trust  a  person  who  if  tfc-Tagtee  with  your 

did  or  said  these  things  with  your  money,  markings. 

property,  or  business.  Or,  better  still,  ask 

State  the  facts  on  which  your  conclusions  J^  £  £™  J°* 

are  based,  especially  the  facts  showing  schedules  to  represent 


38 


CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 


that  you  are  or  have  been  trusted  or 
have  proved  yourself  worthy  of  trust. 


JUST 

SQUARE 

HONORABLE 

HIGHMINDED 


UNJUST 
UNFAIR 

DISHONORABLE 
LOWMINDED 


Do  you  act  in  ways  which  when  adopted 
by  others  you  regard  as  taking  unfair 
advantage,  acting  meanly  or  dishonor- 
ably for  the  sake  of  money  or  against 
justice  and  right,  under  the  control  of 
low  motives  or  selfish  interests  ? 


CONSCIENTIOUS 
STANDING   FOR 
THE   RIGHT 
REGARDLESS 
OF  CONSE- 
QUENCES 


UNSCRUPULOUS 

WILLING  TO  DO 

AND  SAY  QUESTION- 
ABLE THINGS  FOR 
MONEY  OR  POSITION 
OR  OTHER  ADVAN- 
TAGES 


Call  to  mind  the  specific  facts. 

When  have  you  sacrificed  advantage  to 
right? 

When  have  you  sacrificed  right  to  advan- 
tage? 


CAREFUL 
PAINSTAKING 
THOROUGH 
EFFICIENT 


CARELESS 
RECKLESS 
SLIPSHOD 
INEFFICIENT 


Do  you  do  what  you  do  the  very  best  you 

possibly  can  ? 
Tendency  to        Tendency  to 

concentrate          spread  attention  and 

on  one  or  a          effort  over  a  wide 

few  things.  field. 

Many  irons  in  the  fire. 


INDUSTRIOUS 


IDLE 


HARD-WORKING    SHIFTLESS 
PERSISTENT  CHANGEFUL 

STEADY  INTERMITTENT 


their  estimates  of  you, 
and  then  compare 
notes. 

If  two  or  three  of  you 
work  on  separate  pa- 
pers at  the  same  time, 
and  then  see  where 
your  markings  differ 
and  discuss  the  reasons 
frankly,  you  will  get  a 
great  deal  of  light  on 
your  virtues  and  de- 
fects. 

You  can  simplify  the 
matter  somewhat,  per- 
haps, by  writing  all  the 
good  qualities  in  one 
long  column,  and  all 
the  undesirable  charac- 
teristics in  a  parallel 
column ;  then  putting  a 
cross  under  each  trait 
you  think  is  yours,  or 
two  or  more  crosses  if 
you  have  the  trait  very 
strongly  developed. 

You  should  revise 
your  judgments  from 
time  to  time  with  the 
aid  of  your  friends,  and 
note  progress. 

Make  a  list  of  the 
shortcomings  it  seems 
most  important  to  elim- 
inate as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible, carry  the  list  in 
your  pocket,  run  over 
it  every  day,  and  note 
what  you  have  done  to 
get  rid  of  the  undesir- 
able traits  and  form 
opposite  habits. 

New  habits  will  be 
easily  formed  if  you 
give  constant  attention 
and  daily  effort  to  the 
task. 

For  instance,  suppose 
you  are  fighting  un- 
truthfulness,  or  care- 
lessness, or  bashfulness, 
or  lack  of  thoughtful- 
ness  and  smiling  court- 
esy. Appoint  some 


DISCUSSION  OF  PERSONAL  DATA 


39 


ALERT 

ATTENTIVE 
KEENLY  ALIVE 
QUICK 
ACTIVE 
ENERGETIC 

EARNEST 
ENTHUSIASTIC 

DEEPLY  INTER- 
ESTED IN 
WHAT  YOU 
ARE  DOING 


DULL  OR  ABSENT- 
MINDED 

INATTENTIVE 

APATHETIC 

SLOW 

PASSIVE 

WORKING  AT  LOW  PRES- 
SURE 

INDIFFERENT 

WITHOUT  ZEAL  OR  EN- 
THUSIASM 

NO  HEART  INTEREST 
IN  WORK.      WORKING 
ONLY  TO  MAKE  A 
LIVING. 


State  the  facts  on  which  you  base  your 
conclusions,  and  the  reasons  you  mani- 
fest traits  in  the  right-hand  column  if 
you  conclude  you  have  some  of  these 
traits. 


SELF-RELIANT 
CONFIDENT 
WILLING  TO 
LEAD 


TIMID,  RETIRING 
DISTRUSTFUL  OF  SELF 
INCLINED  TO  FOLLOW 


friend  your  confessor, 
and  tell  him  or  her 
every  success  and  every 
failure,  and  in  your 
struggles  the  successes 
will  grow  more  and 
more  numerous  and  the 
failures  less  frequent, 
and  with  earnest  per- 
sistence the  failures 
will  vanish  and  you 
will  have  nothing  but 
success  to  record. 

Then  you  are  ready 
to  devote  your  atten- 
tion to  a  new  set  of 
shortcomings,  and  so 
on  until  you  have 
rounded  out  all  the 
weak  points  in  your 
character. 

After  a  little  you  can 
impose  a  penalty  on 
yourself  also,  if  you 
choose,  for  every  re- 
lapse. Human  nature 
is  plastic,  and  we  can 
make  ourselves  good  or 
bad,  beautiful  or  ugly, 
admirable  or  disgust- 
ing, according  to  our 
will  and  effort. 


ORDERLY 

SYSTEMATIC,  METHODICAL 


DISORDERLY  OR  INDIFFERENT 
NO  ATTENTION  TO  METHOD, 

UNSYSTEMATIC 
WORKING   BY   GUESS   OR   HABIT 

INSTEAD  OF  A  DEFINITE  PLAN 


HABITUALLY  PLANNING 
AND  WORKING  BY  WELL- 
CONSIDERED  RULES 

Do  you  plan  your  work  carefully  as  you  would  if  you  were  going 
to  build  a  house  ?  Do  you  use  system  and  scientific  method  in 
all  you  do? 

PROGRESSIVE  UNPROGRESSIVE 

FULL  OF  INITIATIVE  AND  PUSH       NO  INITIATIVE SATISFIED  TO 

GO  ALONG  IN  THE  OLD  WAY 

Are  you  continually  seeking  new  and  better  methods,  and  trying 
to  improve  yourself  and  your  work  ? 

OPEN-MINDED  BIGOTED 

TOLERANT  INTOLERANT 


40  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

WILLING  TO  LISTEN  TO  THOSE         DOGMATIC,  SURE  YOU  ARE 
WHO  DIFFER  FROM  YOU,  RIGHT.     TREATING  THE 

AND  TRY  TO  SEE  THE  IDEAS  OF  OTHERS  WITH  RIDI- 

STRENGTH  OF  THEIR  FACTS  CULE,    SCORN,    OR   INDIFFER- 

AND  REASONS  ENCE,  OR  CLOSING  THE  MIND 

AGAINST  THEM 

How  do  you  feel  toward  people  of  different  creed,  or  political  or 
economic  faith  ?  Do  you  welcome  their  thought  and  try  to  see  if 
they  have  not  caught  some  truth  which  has  escaped  you,  or  do 
you  feel  sure  they  are  wrong,  before  you  hear  them,  and  either 
leave  them  alone  with  their  error  or  talk  with  them  only  for 
the  purpose  of  convincing  them  of  their  mistakes,  or  of  show- 
ing apparent  courtesy  though  really  feeling  no  interest  or  wel- 
come for  their  thought  ? 

REASONABLE  UNREASONABLE 

OPEN  TO  SUGGESTION  AND  SELF-OPINIONATED,    OBDURATE 

CRITICISMS 

SENSIBLE  FOOLISH 

PRACTICAL  IMPRACTICAL 

SEEING  THINGS  IN  TRUE  LIGHT  FANCIFUL,  DREAMY,  UP   IN  THE 

AIR 

WELL-BALANCED,  POSSESSED  UNBALANCED,  LACKING  IN  COM- 
OF  "COMMON  SENSE"  AND  MON  SENSE,  MAKING  FRE- 

" HORSE  SENSE"  QUENT   BLUNDERS,    UNABLE 

TO  MAKE  THINGS  COME  OUT 
AS  INTENDED 

WIDE-AWAKE  GREEN 

SHREWD  EASILY  IMPOSED  ON 

LONG-HEADED,  FORESIGHTED        LACKING  IN  FORESIGHT  AND 

SHREWDNESS 

Think  how  often  you  have  been  imposed  upon,  and  how  often 
things  have  developed  the  way  you  thought  they  would,  and  how 
often  not.  On  foresight  is  founded  our  control  of  the  future. 

KINDLY  CRUEL,  HARSH,  INDIFFERENT 

SYMPATHETIC  UNSYMPATHETIC 

Do  you  love  animals,  children,  nature  ? 

What  pets  have  you  had  ? 

How  did  you  make  them  do  as  you  wished? 

What  kinds  of  people  do  you  like? 

What  kinds  do  you  dislike,  and  how  do  you  treat  them  ? 


DISCUSSION  OF  PERSONAL  DATA  41 

How  do  you  act  toward  people  who  abuse  you,  or  say  mean  things 

about  you  ? 
Ask  yourself  what  you  have  done  that  might  show  kindliness  and 

sympathy,  and  why  you  did  these  things. 

HEARTY  COLD 

CORDIAL  INDIFFERENT 

AFFECTIONATE  UNAFFECTIONATE 

LOVING  TENDENCY  TO  HATRED,  DISLIKE, 

ANTAGONISM 
DEMONSTRATIVE  UNDEMONSTRATIVE 

Do  you  show  your  good-will  and  affection,  or  are  you  keeping 
them  bottled  up  for  use  in  some  future  epoch,  or  on  another 
planet,  or  after  the  funerals  of  your  relatives  or  friends  ? 

RESPECTFUL  DISRESPECTFUL 

COURTEOUS  DISCOURTEOUS 

THOUGHTFUL   OF   OTHERS  BOORISH 

Or  negative  in  attitude  toward  others,  neither  courteous  nor 
discourteous  ? 

Tact.  —  Can  you  manage  people  well  ?  State  the  evidence. 
Can  you  make  people  do  as  you  wish  by  persuasion, 
or  by  leading  them  to  adopt  the  suggestion  as  their 
own  idea  and  act  on  it? 
Do  you  make  people  feel  comfortable  and  happy 

when  you  are  with  them? 

Do  they  seek  your  society  and  seem  anxious  to 
have  you  with  them  ? 

If  not,  what  do  you  think  is  the  reason  ? 
Taste.  —  Do  you  know  a  fine  picture  when  you  see  it  ? 

Are  you  fond  of  pictures  ?  Of  music  ?  What  kinds  ? 
Can  you  name  some  of  your  favorite  pictures  and 

pieces  of  music  ? 
Can  you  tell  an  elegantly  dressed  person  from  one 

who  is  gaudily  dressed  ? 
Can  you  tell  whether  a  lady's  hair  is  becomingly  put 

up  or  not  ? 
Do  you  constantly  ask  yourself  if  your  words  and 

conduct  are  in  good  taste? 
Temper.  —  Do  you  get  angry  easily  ? 

What  sort  of  things  make  you  angry  most  quickly  ? 


CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 


How  many  times  have  you  been  provoked  during  the 

last  year  ? 

What  were  the  causes? 
What  did  you  do? 
What  fights  or  quarrels  have  you  had  in  your  life  and 

why? 
General  disposition  and  make-up. 


SELFISH 

SOCIABLE 

TALKATIVE 

WELL-SPOKEN 

SELF-POSSESSED,  CONFIDENT 

MODEST 

BOLD 
COURAGEOUS 

GENEROUS 
FREE-HANDED 
BENEVOLENT 
GOOD-NATURED,    CHEERY 
MIRTHFUL,  MERRY,  JOYOUS, 
LIGHT-HEARTED 

CALM,   SERENE 
SELF-POISED 

DELIBERATE,  acting  on  sober 
judgment  after  consultation 
and  reflection 

OPTIMISTIC 

BUOYANT 

HOPEFUL 

CONTENTED 

TENDENCY   TO   LOOK   ON   THE 

BRIGHT   SIDE 

A  SPIRIT  OF  BROAD  HUMANITY 
QUIET 
GENTLE 
REVERENT 
DEMOCRATIC 


UNSELFISH 

UNSOCIAL 

TACITURN 

GOSSIPY 

SENSITIVE,    EASDLY    EMBAR- 
RASSED 

VAIN  AND  EGOTISTIC,  SELF- 
CONCEITED 

BASHFUL 

TIMID,  SHRINKING,  OR  COW- 
ARDLY 

AVARICIOUS 

MISERLY 

CLOSE-FISTED 

ILL-TEMPERED,  SOUR,  PEEVISH 

MELANCHOLY,  MOROSE,  FRET- 
FUL, FAULT-FINDING,  SAR- 
CASTIC, BITTER 

NERVOUS,  EXCITABLE 

EXPLOSIVE 

HASTY,  IMPULSIVE 


PESSIMISTIC 

GLOOMY,  FOREBODING 

DESPONDENT,    DISCOURAGED 

DISSATISFIED,  ENVIOUS 

TENDENCY  TO  LOOK  ON  THE 
DARK  SIDE 

NARROW,    CLANNISH 

NOISY 

STERN 

IRREVERENT 

AUTOCRATIC,  SNOBBISH,  DES- 
POTIC 


DISCUSSION  OF  PERSONAL  DATA  43 

COOPERATIVE  COMBATIVE,    AGGRESSIVE 

FINE  AND  STEADFAST  IN  UNRELIABLE,  CHANGEABLE, 

FRIENDSHIP  TREACHEROUS 

FRANK,  CANDID,  OPEN-HEARTED    SECRETIVE,    CUNNING,    UNDER- 
HANDED 
TRUSTFUL,    FORGIVING  JEALOUS,   SUSPICIOUS 

Will,  weak,  yielding,  vacillating;  or  firm,  strong,  self-willed, 

stubborn  ? 
Judgment.  —  Are  you  hasty  and  impulsive  ? 

Or  have  you  such  mastery  of  yourself,  such  self- 
control,  that  you  are  able  to  act  contrary  to 
present  inclinations  for  the  sake  of  future  bene- 
fit? 

This  is  where  foresight,  judgment,  and  will-power  unite  to  form 
one  of  the  most  vital  and  important  elements  of  a  strong  charac- 
ter. To  subordinate  the  present  to  the  future  and  the  lower  nature 
to  the  higher,  to  form  the  habit  of  giving  up  a  present  pleasure  for 
a  greater  future  good,  is  one  of  the  distinguishing  marks  of  high 
type  manhood  and  womanhood. 
Purity  in  word,  deed,  thought. 

No  answer  is  asked  for  here,  for  one  who  is  impure  cannot 
usually  be  trusted  to  tell  the  truth  about  it  except  to  his  own  con- 
science. But  he  should  never  allow  himself  to  forget  that  as  long 
as  he  is  impure  he  is  living  a  tainted  life,  sacrificing  his  best  to  his 
lowest  nature,  and  that  there  cannot  be  two  standards;  if  he  is 
acting  or  thinking  in  a  way  he  would  not  wish  his  sister  to  think 
or  act,  he  is  not  fit  to  look  her  or  any  other  good  woman  in  the 
eye  or  associate  with  her. 

Temperance  in  food,  drink,  work,  and  amusement? 
Humor.  —  Are  you  fond  of  humor  ? 

What  humorous  books  have  you  read  ? 
Can  you  take  a  joke  on  yourself  ? 
Can  you  make  a  joke? 

Do  you  fix  funny  incidents  and  stories  in  your  mem- 
ory, and  tell  them  to  your  friends  ? 
Good  fellowship. 

Do  you  like  to  be  with  people  ? 
And  do  they  like  to  be  with  you  ? 
Public  spirit,  patriotism,  civic  interest. 
Are  you  a  citizen? 
If  not,  have  you  taken  the  proper  steps  to  become  one  ? 


44  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

Do  you  always  vote  at  primaries  ?  At  elections  ? 

What  means  do  you  take  to  find  out  what  men  to  vote  for  ? 

Do  you  read  more  than  one  paper  ? 

Do  you  read  any  paper  that  is  opposed  to  your  party  or  political 

ideas? 

What  public  questions  are  you  specially  interested  in  ? 
What  have  you  done  that  shows  your  interest  in  public  affairs  ? 
Temperament.  —  Phlegmatic,  buoyant,  bilious,  emotional. 
Balance,  or  relative  proportion  of  physical,  mental,  and  emotional 

life  and  activities. 
Reputation. 

Ideals  and  theories  of  life  and  the  world. 
Friends. 

How  many  intimate  friends  have  you? 
Describe  the  closest. 

Are  you  planning  to  form  further  friendships  ? 
With  what  sort  of  people  ? 
By  what  means? 
For  what  ends? 
Personality.  —  Attractive  or  not,  on  the  whole. 

Have  you  observed  why  you  are  drawn  to  the  men  and  women 
who  attract  you  most  ?  And  examined  to  what  degree  you 
have  the  same  qualities,  and  to  what  extent  they  are  offset 
or  nullified  by  unattractive  or  repellent  qualities  ? 


THE  METHOD  IN  OUTLINE 

IN  brief  outline  the  Method  of  the  Vocation  Counselor  is  as  fol- 
lows :  — 

I.  Personal  Data. 

A  careful  statement,  on  paper,  of  the  principal  facts 
about  the  person,  bringing  out  particularly  every  fact 
that  has  a  bearing  on  the  vocational  problem. 

II.  Self -Analysis. 

A  self-examination,  on  paper,  done  in  private,  under 
instructions  of  the  counselor,   developing  specially 
every  tendency  and  interest  that  should  affect  the 
choice  of  a  life  work. 
HI.    The  Person's  own  Choice  and  Decision. 

In  a  great  majority  of  cases  this  will  show  itself 
in  a  marked  degree  before  the  work  under  I  and  II  ia 
finished.  It  must  always  be  borne  in  mind  that  the 
choice  of  a  vocation  should  be  made  by  each  person 
for  himself  rather  than  by  any  one  else  for  him.  The 
counselor  can  only  guide,  correct,  advise,  assist  the 
candidate  in  making  his  own  final  choice. 
IV.  Counselor's  Analysis. 

On  the  basis  of  the  information  obtained  under  I 
and  II,  so  far  as  possible  the  counselor  should  test  III 
by  making  an  analysis  under  each  of  the  following 
heads,  seeking  in  every  line  for  significance  in  the  line 
of  the  main  quest :  — 

1.  Heredity  and  circumstance. 

2.  Temperament  and  natural  equipment. 
8.  Face  and  character. 

4.  Education  and  experience. 

5.  Dominant  interests. 

V.    Outlook  on  the  Vocational  Field. 

One  who  would  be  a  vocational  counselor  should 


46  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

familiarize  himself  in  a  high  degree  with  industrial 
knowledge,  and  he  will  need  some  knowledge,  as  we 
have  indicated  in  Part  III  of  this  book,  that  is  not 
at  present  easily  obtained.  Investigations  to  be  un- 
dertaken at  once  are :  — 

1.  Lists  and  classifications  of  industries  and  voca- 

tions. 

2.  The  conditions  of  success  in  the  various  voca- 

tions. 

3.  General    information    about    industries,    up-to- 

date,  the  kind  that  is  found  in  current  maga- 
zines and  papers  rather  than  in  books. 

4.  Apprenticeship  systems  now  in  practice. 

5.  Vocational  schools  and  courses  available  in  your 

city  and  state. 

6.  Employment  agencies  and  opportunities. 

VI.  Induction  and  Advice. 

This  calls  for  clear  thinking,  logical  reasoning,  a 
careful,  painstaking  weighing  of  all  the  evidence, 
a  broad-minded  attitude  toward  the  whole  problem, 
tact,  sympathy,  wisdom. 

VII.  General    Helpfulness    in    Fitting    into    the    Chosen 

Work. 


PART  II 
THE  INDUSTRIAL  INVESTIGATION 


VI 


THE  CONDITIONS  OF  EFFICIENCY  AND  SUCCESS 
IN  DIFFERENT  INDUSTRIES 

Fundamental  Requisites  and  Special  Aptitudes,  Abilities, 
Interests,  Ambitions,  and  Traits  of  Character,  in  their 
Relations  to  Efficient  Service  and  Industrial  Success. 

I.  FUNDAMENTALS,   applicable  in  large  measure  to  all 
industries : 

HEALTH         THOROUGHNESS  PROMPTNESS        RELIABILITY 
INTEREST       ENTHUSIASM        SYSTEM  FORESIGHT 

ENDURANCE  PERSISTENCE       COMMON  SENSE  WILL  POWER 
ENERGY          HONESTY  MEMORY  JUDGMENT 

Analytic  method  is  an  important  factor,  especially  in 

intellectual  pursuits,  executive  functions,  and  management. 

A  reasonable  degree  of  cooperativeness  is  also  essential 

to  first-class  success  in  nearly  all  lines  of  effort,  and  love 

of  the  work  necessary  to  the  best  and  fullest  success. 

It  is  true  that  in  some  rare  cases,  like  those  of  Herbert 
Spencer  and  Alexander  Pope,  men  may  win  success  by  the 
force  of  extraordinary  genius  in  spite  of  ill  health  or  physi- 
cal disability.  But  such  cases  are  very  unusual,  and  for  all 
ordinary  cases  it  is  substantially  true  that  health  is  essen- 
tial to  success,  and  must  be  cultivated  and  safeguarded 
with  the  greatest  care,  as  a  fundamental  requisite  for  bodily 
or  mental  achievement  and  the  attainment  of  success  and 
happiness.  Knowledge  of  and  obedience  to  the  laws  of 
health  will  pay  bigger  dividends  than  any  other  equal 
investment  of  time  and  effort. 

It  is  also  true  that  a  certain  appearance  of  success  may 
be  obtained  without  a  full  equipment  of  honesty.  The 


50  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

burglar,  the  maker  and  vender  of  quack  medicines  and 
adulterated  foods,  the  man  engaged  in  the  organized 
traffic  for  the  manufacture  of  drunkards,  the  gambler,  the 
commercial  pirate  who  captures  the  wealth  of  others  by 
means  of  railroad  rebates  or  other  unlawful  advantages, 
the  political  pirate  who  corrupts  our  governments  for 
plunder,  —  such  men  may  secure  the  sham  success,  the 
pretense  of  prosperity  that  comes  with  the  mere  possession 
of  money;  but  they  cannot  attain  a  real  and  lasting  suc- 
cess, for  that  is  beyond  the  reach  of  dishonesty.  The 
burglar,  the  grafter,  the  commercial  pirate,  and  their  kind 
are  in  partnership  with  danger.  Fear  is  their  constant 
companion.  The  consciousness  of  evil  and  social  disap- 
proval and  possible  punishment  poisons  their  lives.  They 
are  incapable  of  the  free,  full,  abounding  happiness  that 
comes  with  a  life  of  efficient  service  in  harmony  with  social 
well-being.  Even  where  the  business  of  the  pirate  is  partly 
or  wholly  within  the  law,  as  in  case  of  the  licensed  saloon, 
there  is  no  telling  how  soon  the  moral  sense  of  the  com- 
munity may  subject  it  to  outlawry  as  well  as  ostracism. 
There  is  no  true  success,  no  success  worth  having,  that 
rests  on  the  dangerous  and  unstable  basis  of  fraud  and 
wrong.  Even  John  D.  Rockefeller,  with  all  his  millions, 
would  have  been  a  far  happier  man  with  an  honest  com- 
petence and  the  respect  of  his  fellow  men,  than  he  can  be 
now  with  the  consciousness  of  the  merited  condemnation 
of  all  right-thinking  people  and  the  persistent  hounding 
of  the  law  that  may  at  last  bring  him  to  justice  for  its 
violation,  and  compel  him  to  pass  his  last  days  in  ignominy 
and  disgrace,  if  not  in  actual  confinement.  It  is  better  to 
build  a  small  house  on  the  solid  rock  than  to  erect  a  palace 
on  the  quicksand. 

II.  The  following  particular  conditions  applicable  to 
special  industries  or  groups  of  industries  are  given,  not  as 
being  comprehensive  or  necessarily  accurate,  but  as  illus- 
trating the  method  applicable  to  any  particular  case.  Some 


CONDITIONS  OF  EFFICIENCY  51 

of  these  special  conditions  arise  simply  from  the  fact  that 
full  success  in  the  line  indicated  demands,  in  special 
amount  or  emphatic  degree,  one  or  more  of  the  funda- 
mentals. 

(1)  Agriculture,  Horticulture,  Floriculture,  etc. 

Knowledge  of  soil,  crops,  processes,  etc.,  best  obtained  by 
experience,  linked  with  scientific  study  of  the  principles 
of  the  subject  in  a  good  school  of  agriculture,  etc. 

Knowledge  of  the  market  and  adaptation  to  it. 

Possession  of  a  good  area. 

A  good  degree  of  business  capacity. 

(2)  Stock-raising,  Dairying,  and  other  Animal  Industries. 

Knowledge  of  the  life  and  habits  of  the  animals  to  be  dealt 

with. 

Sympathy  with  them  and  love  for  them. 
Knowledge  of  the  market  and  adaptation  to  it. 
Capital,  or  management,  or  lease. 
A  good  degree  of  business  capacity. 

(3)  Mining,  Quarrying,  etc. 

Prospecting : 

Rugged  health. 

Knowledge  of  geology,  metallurgy,  and  chemistry. 
Operating : 

Scientific  knowledge  of  machinery  and  processes  (or 
means  to  hire  it). 

Knowledge  of  the  market. 

Business  ability. 

(4)  Mechanical    Trades,    Manufacturing    and    Construction, 
Transportation,  etc. 

(a)  Journeymen: 

Skill  of  hand  and  eye.  Knowledge  of  the  trade. 

Care,  accuracy,  Ability  to  draw  and  to  work 

quickness,  loyalty,          by  drawings, 
hearty  obedience  to 
orders. 

Making  employer's  interest  your  own. 

Working  as  if  the  business  were  yours,  or  recognizing 
that  in  a  very  important  sense  it  is  yours  as  long  as 
you  are  putting  your  life  into  it  and  depending  on  it 
for  livelihood,  promotion,  and  development. 


52  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

(6)  Foremen,  Superintendents,  etc. : 

Skill  of  hand  and  eye,  and  all  essential  qualities  of 

journeymen. 

Making  employer's  interest  your  own,  etc. 
Executive  power,  system. 
Ability  to  get  along  with  men  and  get  the  best  out  of 

them. 

Knowledge  of  human  nature. 
Sympathy,  appreciation. 
Firm,  kindly,  tactful  discipline, 
(c)   Owners,  Managers,  Heads  of  Departments: 

All  the    qualifications   of    journeymen  and  fore- 
men. 
Organizing  ability  in  proportion  to  the  size  and 

weight  of  the  enterprise. 

Knowledge  of  the  market  and  adaptation  to  it. 
Foresight,  breadth  and  clearness  of  view. 
The  money  sense. 
Resources,  inventiveness  or  ability  to  recognize  and 

adopt  new  ideas  of  others. 

Tireless  planning  and  effort  for  improvement  and 
development,  to  keep  abreast  of  the  times,  and  up 
to  or  ahead  of  competitors. 

x        ..  -iij       .-  •  Inventiveness  is  very 

Location,  capital,  advertising,     valuable  throughout  this 

inventiveness,       construe-     group,  but  is  not  essen- 

tive,  human,  and  artistic    tial  *  the  Ability  to  re- 

qualities  of  mind.  ST£rs±f.  "" 

(5)  Commerce:  Wholesale  and  Retail,  Buying  and  Selling. 

(a)  General  sales  force: 

Knowledge  of  the  goods. 
Tact   and   skill   in   dealing 

with  people. 
Knowledge  of  human         Absolute  reliability  both 

nature.  in   relations    to   employers 

Care    of    stock    and     and  customers. 

perfect  knowledge         Attention,  care,  accuracy, 

of  its  location.  quickness,  enthusiasm,  loy- 

A  spirit   of   genuine     alty. 

service. 


CONDITIONS  OF  EFFICIENCY  53 

Extending  to  custom- 
ers the  courtesy, 
consideration,  and 
helpfulness  you 
would  desire  in  their 
place. 

Pleasant  manners,  cordial  smile,  etc. 

Pleasant  voice,  well  modulated. 

Good  conversational  ability. 

Attractive  appearance,  neatness,  etc. 

Good  disposition,  cooperative,  good  team-worker, 

patience,  sympathy,  good  humor. 
(6)  Floor  superintendents,  foremen  and  forewomen,  etc. 

Knowledge  of  the  goods,  and  all  the  accomplish- 
ments of  salespeople  in  larger  degree. 

Executive  ability. 

System. 

(c)  Merchandise  people,  Buyers  and  Assistant  Buyers,  etc. 

Knowledge  of  goods  to  a  fine  art. 

Knowledge  of  market. 

Judgment,  foresight. 

Energy,  push,  enterprise,  resource,  inventiveness. 

Tact  in  dealing  with  people. 

(d)  Owners,  Managers,  Heads  of  Departments: 

Skill  of  hand  and  eye.     Knowledge  of  the  trade. 
Care,  accuracy,  quick-    Ability  to  draw  and  to  work 

ness,  loyalty,  hearty    by  drawings. 

obedience  to  orders. 

Working  as  if  the  business  was  yours,  etc. 
Executive  power,  system. 
Ability  to  get  along  with  men  and  to  get  the  best  out 

of  them. 

Knowledge  of  human  nature. 
Sympathy,  appreciation. 
Firm,  kindly,  tactful  discipline. 
Organizing  ability  in  proportion  to  the  size  and 

weight  of  the  enterprise. 

(6)  Finance,  Banking,  Investment,  etc. 
(a)  Cashiers,  clerks,  etc. : 

Absolute  reliability.  High  character. 


54  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

Skill  in  special  work.         Prompt,  accurate,  cheer- 
ful service. 
(6)  Owners,  managers,  etc. : 

Broad  knowledge  of  business  affairs. 

Good  judgment,  caution. 

Foresight. 

Good  business  connections. 

Reputation  for  sound  judgment,  square  dealing, 

honesty,  reliability,  etc. 
Ability  to  pick  out  the  right  men  and  get  good 

results  out  of  them. 
Organizing  and  executive  power. 

(7)  Agencies,  office  work,  etc. 

(a)  General  force: 

Reliability,  skill  in  special  work. 

Persuasive  power,  tact  in  dealing  with  people. 

(6)  Stenographic  Force: 

Technical  skill,  knowledge  of  English,  care,  accu- 
racy, common  sense. 

(c)   Managers : 

Executive  ability,  organizing  power,  energy,  push, 

enterprise,  tact,  cooperation. 
Knowledge  of  the  business. 
Knowledge  of  human  nature. 
Ability  to  pick  out  the  right  men  and  get  good  re- 
sults from  them. 

Throughout  the  Business  Groups  with  which  we  have 
been  dealing,  executive  power,  organizing  ability,  system, 
energy,  push,  enterprise,  inventiveness,  resource,  know- 
ledge of  business  and  markets,  knowledge  of  human  na- 
ture and  tact  in  dealing  with  it,  judgment,  foresight,  the 
money  sense,  are  all  very  important  factors  in  achieving 
the  highest  success  and  efficiency  in  the  highest  positions. 

The  contrast  in  the  conditions  of  attaining  high  success 
in  professional  life  and  in  business  is  very  instructive. 

The  professional  man,  as  a        The  business  man,  as  a  rule, 
rule, 


CONDITIONS  OF  EFFICIENCY 


55 


1.  Needs  a  great  deal  of 

book  knowledge. 

2.  Special  training  in  his 

business. 

3.  And  must  understand 

people. 

But  does  not  need 
organizing  or  executive  abil- 
ity in  special  measure, 
nor  the  money  sense  or 

financial  judgment. 
Nor  in  most  cases  does  he 
need  either  the  coopera- 
tive spirit  or  competitive 
push  in  so  high  a  degree  as 
the  business  man. 
The  professional  man 
is  an  independent  individual 
power. 

(8)  The  Professions. 


Needs  comparatively  little  book 
knowledge. 

Must  know  things,  goods,  mark- 
ets, processes,  etc. 

And  must  understand  people. 

He  also  needs 

organizing  and  executive  ability  in 
large  measure, 

and  the  money  sense  or  financial 
judgment. 

And  the  cooperative  make-up  as 
well  as  the  push  essential  to  ag- 
gressive competition. 


The  business  man 
must  build  a  big  machine,  includ- 
ing many  human  beings. 


(a)  Teaching: 

Love  of  the  work,  enthusiasm,  sympathy  with  and 
interest  in  young  people,  character  that  commands 
respect,  knowledge  of  the  subject  to  be  taught; 
knowledge  of  human  nature;  knowledge  of 
method. 

Health,  endurance,  patience,  common  sense,  judg- 
ment, tact,  good  nature. 

Memory,  imagination,  inventiveness,  humor. 

(6)  Preaching  and  the  Ministry: 

Consecration  to  high  ideals  and  standards  of  action. 

Capacity  for  sacrificing  the  lower  to  the  higher  im- 
pulses and  motives. 

Admirable  character. 

Lovable  personality. 

Sympathy,  deep,  alive,  active,  expressing  itself  in 
deeds  as  well  as  words. 

Common  sense. 

Power  of  expression. 


66  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

Knowledge  of  human  nature  and  life,  its  joys  and 

sorrows,  hopes  and  fears. 
Knowledge  of  ethical  literature,  history,  government, 

industry,  and  science. 
Memory,  imagination,  and  humor. 
Attractive  appearance  and  address. 
Pleasant  voice,  smile,  handshake,  etc. 

(c)  Authorship: 

Vital  knowledge  of  important  subject  or  life  expe- 
rience. 

Power  of  expression,  skill  in  marshaling  ideas  in 
good  order  and  attractive  form. 

Style,  clearness,  force,  unity,  inventiveness,  sym- 
pathy, humor,  earnestness,  industry,  knowledge 
of  human  nature,  reputation,  position,  authority 
in  reference  to  the  subject,  etc.,  location,  friend- 
ship, etc. 

Timeliness  or  adaptation  to  the  age  and  interest  of 
the  people. 

The  news  sense. 

(d)  Journalism: 

Head  line  skill  and  inventiveness. 

Power  of  expression,  style,  etc.    (See  Authorship.) 

Common  sense,  good  judgment,  enterprise,  push, 
assertiveness,  knowledge  of  the  community,  poli- 
tics, business,  public  men,  history,  etc. 

Business  Management. 

(e)  Medicine,  Surgery,  Dentistry : 

Skill  in  diagnosis,  which  depends  on  knowledge  of 
the  body,  symptoms,  diseases,  etc. 

Powers  of  observation  and  analysis. 

Constructive  reasoning,  or  putting  all  the  facts 
together  to  make  a  valid  working  hypothesis  or 
rational  conclusion  on  the  whole  case. 

Skill  in  treatment,  delicate  adaptation  to  the  indi- 
vidual case. 

Caution,  resource,  knowledge  of  remedies. 

Memory  —  volumes  of  facts.        Nerve. 

Sympathy.  Eyesight. 

Pleasing  address.  Mechanical  ability. 


CONDITIONS  OF  EFFICIENCY  57 

Attractive  personality.  Inventiveness. 

Fine  Character.  Health. 

Love  of  the  work. 

Resources  to  buy  a  practice  or  live  while  building 
one. 

(/)  Engineering: 

High  scientific  ability,  mathematical,  mechanical, 

analytic,  constructive. 

Years  of  special  scientific  training.  Organizing 
power.  Ability  to  manage  men. 

(g)  Architecture: 

Constructive  mind,  inventive  and  adaptive  power. 

Sense  of  harmony  and  proportion. 

Imagination  and  artistic  bent. 

Knowledge  of  principles  and  history  of  architecture. 

Technical  skill. 

Travel  and  visual  acquaintance  with  best  examples 

of  architecture  in  various  cities  and  countries. 
Wide  culture,  to  develop  power  to  express  the  best 
spirit  of  the  time  in  architectural  form. 

(h)  The  Law: 

Understanding  of  human  character  and  motives. 

Ability  to  deal  with  and  influence  men. 

Power  of  expression. 

Power  of  observation. 

Power  of  memory. 

Power  of  reason. 

Power  of  imagination. 

Common  sense,  clear  thought,  and  forceful  argument. 

Integrity,  reliability. 

Humor,  sympathy,  kindliness,  courtesy,  combative- 
ness,  persistence,  indomitable  will,  resourceful- 
ness, inventiveness,  knowledge  of  law,  knowledge 
of  business  and  industry,  knowledge  of  history, 
science,  literature,  art. 

Location. 

Connections. 

Resources. 

Good  appearance  and  address. 


58  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

(i)  Statesmanship: 

All  the  requirements  for  success  in  the  law. 

A  knowledge  of  statecraft,  diplomacy,  political  his- 
tory and  machinery,  public  men,  public  questions, 
the  principal  movements  of  the  time,  and  inter- 
state and  international  relations,  etc. 

Knowledge  of  men. 

Memory  for  names  and  faces. 

Organizing  and  executive  power. 

Constructive  mind. 

Cooperative  make-up. 

Organizing  and  directing  ability  of  the  highest  type. 

Commanding  character  and  attainments. 

Tact,  courtesy,  attractive  personality. 

(9)  Semi-Professional  Work: 

(a)  Politics,  Legislature,  Council,  Elective  Office. 
Distinguished  service  or  ability. 
Identification  with  wealth  or  representative  of  a 

popular  cause. 
Influential  friends. 
Oratorical  power. 
Interest  in  public  affairs. 

Effective  pushing  of  some  important  movement. 
Readiness  to  render  small  services. 
Good  fellowship. 
Memory  of  names  and  faces. 
Wide  acquaintance. 
Common  sense. 
Humor. 

Attractive  personality. 
Fine  appearance  and  address. 

(6)  Lecturing,  public  platform  work. 

Personality.  —  Distinguished  service,  fame,  person 
people  wish  to  see  and  hear  on  account  of  what 
he  has  done. 

Popular  cause  or  movement.  —  Vital  knowledge  of 
important  subject.  Attractive  method  of  presen- 
tation. 

Style.  —  Simple,  clear,  forceful,  rapid  movement, 


CONDITIONS  OF  EFFICIENCY  59 

humor,  appeal  to  the  ideas  and  emotions  of  the 
average  mind  of  the  audiences. 

Oratory.  —  Oratorical  power,  voice  modulation, 
times  of  speech,  vitality,  earnestness,  use  of 
pause,  gesture,  facial  expression,  etc. 

Novelty  —  advertising, 
(c)   Secretarial  work: 

Skill  in  correspondence. 

Reliability,  courtesy. 

Care,  accuracy. 

Trustworthiness. 

Knowledge  of  analytic  method  and  research. 
Knowledge  of  business,  economics,  public  questions, 
etc.,  is  also  necessary  in  many  cases,  especially 
in  employment  by  associations,  corporations, 
trade  unions,  civic  organizations,  or  leading  men 
of  affairs . 

Organizing  ability  is  frequently  called  for. 

Tact,  energy,  push,  and  common  sense. 

(10)  Artistic  employments: 
(a)  Illustrating: 

Technical  skill. 

Imagination. 

Wide  culture  to  give  understanding  and  wealth 
of  material. 

Common  sense  and  judgment  in  choice  of  subject. 

Appreciation  of  reader's  standpoint. 
(6)  Cartoon  work: 

Technical  skill  and  training. 

Knowledge  of  political  affairs  and  current  events. 

Imagination. 

Inventiveness. 

Humor. 

(c)  Engraving: 

Long  and  untiring  practice. 
Delicacy  of  touch,  with  firmness  and  certainty. 
Extraordinary  skill  of  hand  and  eye. 
Perfection  of  nerve  tone  and  control. 

(d)  Photography: 

Ability  to  choose  the  best  pose. 


60  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

Tact  to  get  the  "patient"  in  good  humor,  and 
bring  out  the  best  expression. 

Skill  to  squeeze  the  bulb  at  the  psychologic  mo- 
ment. 

Artistic  sense  of  form  proportion,  light  and  shade. 

Technique. 

Courtesy. 

(e)  Painting: 

Artistic  temperament,  passion  for  form  and  color. 

Color  sense,  form  proportion. 

Ability  to  choose  an  artistic  subject,   a  subject 

worthy  of  the  skill  of  an  artist. 
Knowledge  of  composition. 
Technical  skill  with  the  brush. 

(/)  Sculpture: 

Form,  idealism,  technique. 

Artistic  temperament,  passion  for  form  and  its 

expression. 

Fine  sense  of  form  and  proportion. 
Power  to  symbolize  life,  motion,  and  emotion  in 

form. 
Mastery  of  technique. 

(g)  Landscape  gardening: 

Sense  of  form  and  color  and  proportion. 

Ability  to  make  pictures  on  a  large  scale,  not  on 
canvas,  with  real  trees  and  grass,  buildings, 
fountains,  lakes,  and  sky. 

Artistic  sense,  and  a  brain  full  of  images  of  beauti- 
ful scenes. 

Imagination,  technique,  experience. 

(h)  Music: 
Vocal : 

Artistic    temperament,    natural    gifts,    musical 
memory. 

Persistent  culture. 

Modulation  and  expression. 

Good  appearance. 
Instrumental : 

Artistic  temperament. 

Natural  gifts  —  musical  memory. 


CONDITIONS  OF  EFFICIENCY  61 

Persistent  culture. 
Modulation  of  expression. 
Good  appearance. 
Manual  skill. 
Composition : 

Artistic  temperament. 

Natural  gifts. 

Musical  memory. 

Inventiveness. 

Imagination. 

Ability  by  natural  training  to  express  emotion 

in  harmonious  combination  of  sound. 
Study  of  best  music,  methods  of  composition, 

etc. 
(i)  Acting: 

The   artistic  temperament. 

Emotional  nature,  and  a  passion  for  expression 

by  voice  and  movement. 

Naturalness,    repose,    control,    ability   to   express 
without  over-expression,  or  excitement  that  tears 
the  passion  to  tatters. 
Memory,  confidence,  tireless  industry. 
Health   and   strength   to   stand   the   tremendous 
strain  of  rehearsals  and  continuous  performances. 
Fine  appearance. 
Opportunity. 
(7)  Elocution: 

Training  and  technique. 

Good  voice,  musical,  full  of  life,  well  trained. 

Judgment  in    choice  of  selections  interesting  to 

audience. 

Modulation,  expression,  sympathy,  personal  power. 
Attractive  appearance  and  personality. 
(11)  Public  service: 

Post  Office  —  Memory,  geography,   ability  to  deciphei 

handwriting. 

Police  —  Courage,  strength,  knowledge  of  human  natun 
Fire  Department  —  Quickness,  fearlessness,  agility,  etc. 
Army  and  Navy  —  Physical  tests,  obedience,  etc. 
Government  Clerks  —  Accuracy,    mathematics,    special 
training. 


62  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

Consular  Service  —  Languages,  law,  love  of  travel,  etc. 
Diplomacy,   Ambassadors,   etc.  —  Legal   training,   lan- 
guages, etc. 

(12)  Social  Work: 

Love  of  the  service,  enthusiasm,  character  commanding 
respect. 

Power  of  expression. 

Organizing  ability. 

Understanding  of  the  people  among  whom  the  work  is 
to  be  done. 

Knowledge  of  human  nature  in  general. 

Knowledge  of  society,  government,  industry. 

Sympathy,  tact,  humor,  cooperation. 

Patience,  kindliness,  high  ideals. 

Good  general  education. 

Special  training  in  social  problems,  organizations,  re- 
search, etc. 

Attractive  personality. 

EFFICIENCY   RECORDS 

Employers  of  labor  are  becoming  more  scientific  in  their 
methods  of  judging  the  people  who  work  for  them.  Snap 
judgments  and  guesswork  are  becoming  a  thing  of  the  past. 
As  indicating  this  tendency,  I  have  secured  permission  to 
present  here  in  part  the  schedules  used  in  a  certain  large 
department  store.  There  are  three  sets  of  record  forms  : 
one  for  executives,  one  for  salespeople,  and  one  for  all  other 
positions.  The  record  for  executives  is  varied  by  specific 
tests  for  the  different  classes  of  executives.  Its  general 
terms  are  as  follows :  — 

NAME 
I.  PERSONAL  DATA 

Date  Entered  Positions  Held 

Previous  Experience 

Education 

II.  GENERAL  REQUIREMENTS     Merits    Date   Date   Date   Date   Date   Date   Date 

Rating  by  the  Manager 
Character  100 

Health  100 

Intelligence  100 

Capacity  for  Learning  100 

Every  employee  must  stand  at  not  less  than  75%  in  each  of  these  points. 
A  health  rating  of  50%,  if  temporary,  may  be  allowed. 


CONDITIONS  OF  EFFICIENCY  63 

III.  RESULTS 

Rating  by  Head  of  Department 

In  Work  Merits     Date     Date     Date     .Date     Date     Date 

Work  Well  Organized  24 

Work  Done  Promptly  24 

Work  Done  Thoroughly  24 

Proper  Control  of  Expense     24 

In  Handling  Employees          Merits   Date  Date  Date  Date  Date  Date 

Satisfactory  Results  from  Subor- 
dinates 24 

Satisfactory  Relations  with  Subordi- 
nates 24 

Subordinates  Developing  Efficiency  24 

Training  an  Understudy  24 

In  Executive  Qualities 

Initiative 

Doing  it  without  being  told  to. 
Jumping  over  red  tape  for  results. 
Going  ahead  without  waiting  for 
the  other  fellow.  20 

Responsibility 

Faithfulness,  regularity,  punctual- 
ity, accuracy,  balanced,  safe 
judgment.  20 

Concentration 

Getting  the  thing  done.  No  side 
tracks.  Sticking  to  it.  Capacity 
for  work.  Persistence.  Will  Power. 
Does  he  hit  the  nail  on  the  head 
until  it  is  driven.  20 

Progressiveness 

Is  he  growing?  Does  he  study? 
Open-minded?  Is  he  devoted  to 
things  as  they  are  or  to  things  as 
they  ought  to  be?  20 

Knowledge 

Broad  acquaintance  among  people. 
Human  nature.  His  job.  Our  sys- 
tem. Other  stores.  Successful  men 
and  methods.  Books.  20 

Total 

No  rating  carrying  less  than  200  merits  is  passable.  Temporary  allowance  may 
be  made  for  merits  under  IV. 

IV.  OUTLOOK  FOB  FUTURE  RESULTS 
Merits  assigned  by  Superintendent 
Studies  24 
Personal  Sacrifices  for  Success 
Temporary  Handicaps 

Intelligent  Ambition 

Sane  Enthusiasm 

Courage 

Energy  10 

Suggestions 

Helpfulness  to  others  5 

Total 
The  limit  of  merits  allowable  to  each  item  is  indicated  in  first  column. 

Rating  marks  indicate  as  follows :  — 


64  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

A  (best)  100%;  B  (good)  75%;  C  (medium)  50%; 
D  (poor)  25%;EO%. 

Percentage  ratings  may  be  used  to  indicate  finer  dis- 
tinctions. 

The  record  for  salespeople  in  addition  to  I  and  II  above, 
is  as  follows  :  — 

III.  SPECIAL  QUALIFICATIONS  Merits      Date     Date     Date     Date     Date 

Rating  by  Superintendent 

Salesmanship  Training  100 

Manners  100 

Voice  100 

Physique  100 

Dress  100 

English  100 

Speed  100 

Accuracy  100 

Energy  100 

Taste  (Buyer)  100 

Love  for  the  Work  100 

Capacity  for  Work  100 

Average 

Every  salesperson  must  have  an  average  of  at  least  50%  in  Special  Qualifi- 
cations. 

IV.  RESULTS 

Rating  by  Floor  Manager 

Filling  Quotas  20 

Average  Rating  20 

Service  to  Customers  16 
Selling  Profitable  Merchandise 

Merchandise  Calls  10 

Travelers  4 

Stock  Keeper  8 

Stock  Display  (Buyer)  4 

Punctual  2 

Regular  2 
Cheerful  Compliance  with  Orders 

Total 

No  rating  of  less  than  75%  in  Results  is  passable,  unless  offset  by  ni  or  v. 
All  over  75%  average  under  in,  and  all  merits  under  v,  may  be  temporarily 
added  to  the  total  under  iv. 

V.  OUTLOOK  FOH  FUTURE  RESULTS 
Merits  assigned  by  Head  Floor  Manager 
Studies  5 

Personal  Sacrifices  for  Success 
Temporary  Handicaps  10 

Questions  about  Goods  5 

Sales  Class  Work  5 

Suggestions  3 

Helpfulness  to  Others 
Executive  Qualities  10 

100 
Total 
The  limit  of  Merits  allowable  to  each  item  is  shown  in  first  column. 

The  record  for  persons  in  non-executive  and  non-sell- 
ing positions  is  similar  in  general  terms  to  the  foregoing, 
and  is  varied  for  the  different  positions  according  to  the 
judgment  of  the  superintendent. 


VII 


CLASSIFICATIONS  OF  INDUSTRIES 

EACH  vocational  counselor  should  make  a  thorough  and 
detailed  classification  of  the  vocations.  As  no  such  list 
of  vocations  can  be  permanent,  and  as  any  list  will  prob- 
ably be  incomplete,  I  shall  not  attempt  to  present  one  here. 
On  broad  lines  I  would  group  the  different  industrial  pur- 
suits as  follows :  — 

1.  Agencies  and  Office  Work. 

2.  Agricultural. 

3.  Artistic. 

4.  Commercial. 

5.  Domestic  and  Personal  Service. 

6.  Fishing. 

7.  Manufacturing. 

8.  Mechanical,  Building,  and  Construction. 

9.  Professional  and  Semi-professional. 

10.  Transportation. 

11.  Miscellaneous  Industries. 

One  of  the  first  tasks  for  a  vocational  counselor  is  the 
making  of  as  complete  a  list  under  each  one  of  these  head- 
ings as  possible. 

One  of  the  most  serious  limitations  under  which  young 
people  unconsciously  live  is  their  lack  of  an  outlook  upon 
the  industrial  world.  It  is  of  first  importance  that  the  appli- 
cant should  know  as  much  about  the  various  fields  of  in- 
dustrial pursuit  as  possible,  and  the  first  step  is  that  he  be 
given  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  field  itself. 


VIII 


INDUSTRIES  OPEN  TO  WOMEN 

FOLLOWING  is  a  list  of  women's  ways  of  earning  money,  at 
home  and  away  from  home,  indoors  and  out  of  doors, 
skilled  and  unskilled.  It  is  not  exhaustive,  and  is  given 
here  for  its  suggestive  value  only. 


Plant  Culture 

Growing  flowers  —  floriculture 
fruits 
plants,  vines,  etc.,  to 

sell 

trees  —  horticulture 
vegetables  —  market- 
gardening 
mushrooms 
seeds,  bulbs,  etc.,  for 

market 

Tending  other  peoples'  flowers 
at  home  or  at  their  homes  — 
flower  doctor 
Collecting  flowers,  making 
herbariums,  etc. 


Food  Products 
Putting  up  fruits,  jellies,  pickles, 

etc. 

Making  butter,  cheese,  etc. 
"        bread,  pies,  cakes 
candies,  popcorn 
Preparing  stuffed  prunes 
salted  almonds 
"         seeded  raisins 


Animals 

Raising  chickens,  eggs,  etc. 
Keeping  bees  and  selling  honey 

silk  worms 
Dairy  work 


Raising  cows 
"        horses 


The  better  they 
are   bred,   etc., 
the  more  they 
are  trained,  the 
higher   the 
price  they  will 
sell  for. 


sheep 
"        dogs 
"        cats 
rabbits 
birds 

Caring  for  other  peoples'  ani- 
mals, —  pet  cats,  dogs,  etc. 
Collecting  butterflies  to  sell 
Care,  training,  and  exhibition 
of  wild  animals. 

Textile  Work 
Plain  sewing 

Mending  —  darning  for  laun- 
dries, etc. 
Making  buttonholes 

"        clothing  for  stores  and 

factories 
"       aprons,  neckwear, 


INDUSTRIES  OPEN  TO  WOMEN 


67 


Cooking  and  selling  meats, 
in  slices  or  sand- 
wiches, etc. 
vegetables,  etc.,  ready 

for  the  table 

Putting  up  box  lunches  to  sell 
to  passengers  on  trains, 
or  for  clerks  and  work- 
ers in  stores  and  facto- 
ries 
Getting  up  light  lunches  for 

parties 
Catering  for  clubs,  etc. 

Board  and  Lodging 
Keeping  boarders 
Renting  rooms 

Miscellaneous  Home  Manufac- 
tures 
Making  tops 

pincushions 
baskets 

"        leather  goods 
"        chairs 
"        picture  frames 
"        perfumery 
Artificial  flowers 
Bead  ornaments,  purses,  etc. 
Boxes 
Belts,  etc. 
Upholstery 

Domestic  Service 
Cooks 
Waitresses 
Chambermaids 
Laundry  girls 
All-round  servants 
Housekeepers 
Companions 


wash  rags,  laundry 

bags,  show  bags,  etc. 

Making  infant  booties,  sacques 

and  underwear 
"        tidies  and  sofa  cushions 

patchwork  quilts 
"        rag  carpets,  rugs,  etc. 
"        rag  dolls 
"        cloth  animals,  Teddy 
bears,  elephants, 
dogs,  etc. 
"        Battenberg  doilies  and 

centrepieces 

Knitted  and  crocheted  slippers, 
shawls,  scarfs,  mittens, 
wristlets,  heavy  socks,  etc. 
Lace  -  making,    handkerchiefs, 

etc. 

Embroidery,  collars,  cuffs,  etc. 
Making  tapestries 
Dressmaking 
Millinery 

Store  Work 
Salesgirls 
Bundlegirls 
Cash  girls 
Bookkeepers,  and  other  office 

girls 

Serving  girls,  repairers,  etc. 
Models,  guides,  etc. 
Floor  superintendents 
Window  dressers 
Stock  girls 

Buyers  and  assistants 
Managers 
Welfare  work 

Factory  and  Shop  Work 
Shoe  factories 
Cotton  and  woolen  mills 


68 


CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 


Hotel  and  Restaurant 
Cooks 
Waitresses 
Chambermaids 
Laundry  girls 
Office  girls 

"The  pleasant  boarder" 
Housekeepers 

General  Work 
Washing  and  ironing 
Scrubbing 
Dusting  carpets 
House  cleaning 

Independent   Commercial   Call- 
ings, etc. 

Storekeeping 

Running  employment  office 
typewriting  office 

Dressmaking 

Millinery 

Hairdressing 

Chiropody 

Manicuring 

Massage 

Cleaning  gloves,  ribbons,  etc. 

Keeping  clothing  or  apartments 
in  order  for  bachelors,  or  fami- 
lies who  wish  such  service 

Packing  trunks  for  guests  at 
hotels,  etc. 

Emergency  maid 

Chaperoning 

"Children's Club"  work  — 
playing  with  little  children  to 
relieve  their  mothers  some 
hours  a  day 

Matrons  of  Homes  and  Institu- 
tions 


Box  factories 
Canning      " 
Clothing      " 
Laundries 
Typesetting 
Printing 
Proofreading 
Bookbinding 
Etc.,  etc. 

Office  Work 

Stenography  and  typewriting 
Bookkeeping 
Telegraphy 
Telephone  service 

Agencies,  etc. 

Selling  books  —  Canvassing 
bonds  and  stocks 
goods  on  com  mission 
Demonstrating 
Advertising 
Life  Insurance 
Real  estate 

Officers  of  trade   unions    and 
other  organizations  having 
paid  officials 


INDUSTRIES  OPEN  TO  WOMEN  69 

Professional  and  Semi-Prof essional 
Teaching  in  general 
Kindergartens 
Governess 
Public  Schools 
Academies 
Colleges 
Special 

„    .     (  Vocal 
Music  {  T  . 

(  Instrumental 

Dancing 
Calisthenics 

Means  of  health  and  beauty    |  in  gymnasium  clubs 

(      or  private  classes 
Teaching  by  correspondence 
Authorship  —  Writing  books,  magazine  articles,  etc.,  science,  art, 

poetry,  fiction 

Journalism  —  Writing  stories,  etc.,  for  newspapers 
Writing  Advertisements 
Interpreting 
Translating 
Lecturing 

Elocution  Ministry 

Drawing  Mission  Service 

Painting  Medicine 

Sloyd  Nursing 

Modeling  Dentistry 

Sculpture  Law 

Domestic  Science  Library  work 

Dressmaking  Private  Secretaryship 

Plain  sewing  and  fancy  Traveler's  guide 

Millinery  Manager  or  Director  of  gym- 

Cooking  teacher  nasium  or  other  institution 

Salesmanship  teacher  Reading,  singing,  acting,  etc. 

Etc.,  etc.  (see  next  division) 

Artistic  Occupations 

Illustrating  Photography 

Drawing  patterns  for  embroid-    Retouching  negatives 
ery,  etc.  Coloring  photos 


70 


CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 


Making  designs  for  tiles,  wall 
papers,  carpets,  etc. 

Painting  china 

Landscape  work 

Portraiture 

Arranging  flowers 
for  entertainments 

Window  decorating 


In  concert 
Theatre,  or 
Private 
Entertainment. 


Singing 

Whistling 

Dancing 

Acting 

Acrobatic  exhibitions 

Posing 

Civil  Service 
Post  office 
Customs  house 
Factory  inspection 
Government  clerks,  etc. 


Enlarging  photos  in  crayon,  In- 
dia ink,  etc. 

Making  articles  of  carved  wood 
or  burned  wood,  etc. 

Sculpture 

Architecture 

House  decorating 

Landscape  gardening 

Beauty  culture 

Conducting  orchestra 

Playing  the  piano,  violin,  and 
other  musical  instruments 

Exhibitions  of  magic 

Social  Work 

In  College  settlements 

"  Charity  organizations,  etc. 

Club  work 

Class  work 

Investigation,  education,  visita- 
tion—  ministering  to  the  civic 
and  social  life  and  economic 
development  of  the  less  for- 
tunate, and  enlightening,  ed- 
ucating, organizing,  and  as- 
sisting the  more  fortunate  in 
respect  to  their  relations  to 
the  first  group 

Welfare  work  (see  also  store 
work) 

Organizing  cooperative  enter- 
prises and  associations  for 
mutual  help,  and  civic  and 
social  betterment. 


IX 

THE  USE  OF  STATISTICS 

THE  vocational  counselor  should  be  a  careful  student  of 
industrial  history  and  industrial  geography.  He  should 
know  how  not  merely  to  get  the  statistics,  but  how  to  use 
them.  We  have  prepared  and  found  useful  a  number  of 
schedules  throwing  light  on  our  problems  in  Massachu- 
setts. 

1.  A  list  of  the  workers  in  the  different  industries  per  thousand 
of  population  (ten  years  of  age,  and  over),  in  the  chief  cities 
of  Massachusetts  in  1900.     (Information  can  be  obtained 
from  the  special  report  on  occupations,  Twelfth  Census, 
Table  42,  page  428,  etc.) 

2.  Capital  invested  in  the  various  industries  in  Massachusetts, 
showing  the  number  of  establishments,  number  of  workers, 
capital  per  employee,  salaries  paid  managers  and  high  offi- 
cials, etc.   (Information  from  U.  S.  Census,  1905,  Manufac- 
tures, Part  II,  Table  xix;  and  1902,  Mines  and  Quarries, 
page  234,  etc.) 

3.  Table  on  earnings,  also  taken  from  the  United  States  Cen- 
sus Report,  shows  for  each  industry  the  total  amount  of 
wages  paid,  the  average  number  of  workers,  and  the  average 
paid  by  the  day. 

4.  Table  showing  the  sex,  color,  and  nativity  of  persons  en- 
gaged in  various  occupations  in  the  ten  largest  cities  of 
Massachusetts. 

5.  Table  showing  the  movement  of  demand  from  1860  to 
1900  in  each  of  199  vocations. 

6.  Table  showing  the  movement  of  demand  for  females,  giving 
the  number  of  females  engaged  in  different  industries  in 
1870,  1880,  and  1900. 

7.  Table  showing  the  death  rate  per  thousand  workers  in  150 
occupations  in  Massachusetts. 


72  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

A  few  of  the  facts  brought  out  in  these  tables  may  be 
of  interest.  For  instance,  the  increase  in  the  number  of 
persons  engaged  in  agencies  and  office  work  has  been 
fifty  per  cent  since  1860,  while  the  population  has  only  a 
little  more  than  doubled  itself,  and  there  are  thirty-two 
times  as  many  women  thus  occupied  as  there  were  in  1870. 
At  present  there  are  twice  as  many  men  as  women  thus 
engaged. 

In  agriculture  the  figures  of  1900  show  a  decrease  of 
over  one  thousand  persons  since  1860.  There  were,  how- 
ever, ten  tunes  as  many  women  in  this  work  in  1900  as 
in  1870. 

In  domestic  and  personal  service  there  were  three  times 
as  many  people  employed  in  1900  as  in  1870,  with  only 
twice  as  many  women. 

The  proportion  of  persons  engaged  in  fishing  remains 
about  the  same.  The  1900  Census  gives  forty-four  wo- 
men so  engaged. 

In  manufacture  of  food  products,  the  proportion  of 
workers  increases  slightly  over  the  increase  in  population. 
The  number  of  women  engaged  in  this  industry  increased 
twenty  times  in  thirty  years,  although  men  still  greatly 
outnumber  women  in  this  field. 

In  the  leather  and  shoe  group  of  industries  the  propor- 
tionate number  of  workers  has  not  kept  up  with  the  in- 
crease in  population. 

The  operatives  engaged  in  the  different  textile  factories 
were  not  half  as  many  more  in  1900  as  in  1870,  although 
the  population  has  almost  doubled  itself  in  that  time.  Even 
the  number  of  women  in  this  industry  did  not  keep  pace 
proportionately  with  the  population. 

In  the  professional  and  semi-professional  group  there 
were  about  five  times  as  many  persons  in  1900  as  in  1860. 
And  here  again  women  have  increased  their  numbers  in 
the  largest  ratio. 

Turning  to  the  question  of  earnings,  we  find  that  on  the 


THE  USE  OF  STATISTICS  73 

average  in  manufactures  the  highest  wages  are  paid  to 
those  who  are  in  the  trades  in  which  the  trade  unions 
have  been  most  active. 

Malt  and  distilled  liquor  workers  average  $2.90  a  day. 
Tobacco  workers  2.10       " 

Printers  and  bookbinders  "        2.12       " 

The  lowest  earnings  are  to  be  found  in 

Confectionary  trades $1.04  a  day. 

Broom  and  brush-makers 1.07 

Paper-box  makers 1.16 

Knitting  mill  operatives 1.16 

Silk  mill  operatives 1.18 

Cotton  goods  operatives 1.22 

Coming  to  the  question  of  salaries,  we  find  the  highest 
average  salaries  also  in  the 

Malt  and  Distilled  liquor  business $1933.33 

Paper  and  paper  goods 1777.46 

Chemical  workers 1771.39 

Cotton  goods 1767.70 

Worsted  mills 1770.70 

The  United  States  Census  of  1900  does  not  state  the 
earnings  in  many  of  the  fields  of  industrial  life.  The  prac- 
tice of  the  various  state  statistical  bureaus  varies  in  this 
regard.  If  the  vocational  counselor  cannot  find  the  in- 
formation that  he  wants  from  any  of  these  sources,  he  can 
easily  get  a  basis  for  a  safe  induction  by  selecting  a  group 
of  individuals  in  any  industry  and  getting  his  facts  from 
them. 


THE  MOVEMENT  OF  THE  DEMAND  FOR  WORKERS 
IN  THE  DIFFERENT  INDUSTRIES 

(UNITED  STATES,  1870-19001) 

IN  considering  the  movement  of  demand,  two  things  are 
of  importance.  First,  by  finding  the  increase  or  decrease 
in  number  of  persons  gainfully  employed  during  the  past 
ten,  twenty,  thirty,  or  fifty  years,  to  discover  the  increase 
or  decrease  in  the  demand  for  workers  in  the  different 
occupations  during  that  time.  Second,  by  reckoning  the 
increase  in  proportion  to  population,  to  find  whether  this 
demand  has  grown  with  the  population  or  fallen  behind  it. 

To  illustrate,  the  following  table  has  been  prepared. 
This  shows  that  though  the  number  of  persons  employed 
in  agriculture  has  almost  doubled  since  1870,  the  num- 
ber in  proportion  to  population  (the  number  per  thousand) 
is  less  now  than  then ;  while  all  the  other  classes  have 
grown,  not  only  in  actual  numbers,  but  also  in  proportion 
to  the  total  population. 

General  figures  such  as  these,  however,  are  of  less  value 
to  one  choosing  a  vocation  than  figures  renting  to  specific 
occupations.  We  find,  from  the  table  given,  that  in  1900 
about  sixteen  out  of  every  thousand  persons  in  the  United 
States  were  engaged  in  Professional  Service,  while  only 
about  twelve  in  every  thousand  were  thus  engaged  hi  1870. 
But  of  more  practical  value  is  the  knowledge  of  the  de- 
tails of  the  movement  of  demand,  such  as  the  fact  that 

1  The  figures  given  in  the  following  pages  for  the  United  States  apply 
to  "Continental  United  States  only."  The  figures  given  for  1870,  1880, 
1890,  and  1900  include  all  persons  ten  years  of  age  and  over. 


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76  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

between  1870  and  1900  the  number  of  dentists  increased 
almost  fourfold,  the  number  of  "engineers  (civil,  etc.)  and 
surveyors"  and  the  number  of  journalists  almost  sixfold, 
the  number  of  literary  and  scientific  persons  tenfold,  while 
the  demand  for  physicians  and  surgeons,  lawyers  and 
clergymen,  though  it  had  doubled  during  that  time,  va- 
ried little  in  proportion  to  the  growth  of  population. 

Often  a  general  class  of  occupations  will  grow  greatly 
while  certain  occupations  included  under  it  decline,  or 
the  reverse  may  occur.  Thus  Trade  and  Transportation 
has  grown  more  rapidly  than  any  other  class,  employing 
in  1900  sixty-two  out  of  every  thousand  persons,  whereas 
in  1870  it  employed  but  thirty-seven.  The  number  of  boat- 
men and  sailors,  however,  under  Trade  and  Transporta- 
tion has  fallen  from  105,072  in  1850  to  78,406  in  1900.1 
On  the  other  hand,  though  Agriculture  employed  eighteen 
less  per  thousand  in  1900  than  in  1870,  the  number  of 
stock  raisers,  herders  and  drovers  (included  under  it) 
increased  from  15,359  in  1870  to  84,988  in  1900,  showing 
an  increase  of  threefold  in  proportion  to  population. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  features  in  the  growth  of 
industries  is  the  increasing  number  of  women  employed. 
In  1850  no  women  were  entered  in  the  occupation  returns 
of  the  United  States  Census.  In  1870,  1,836,288  out  of 
12,505,923  persons,  and  in  1900,  5,319,397  out  of  the 
29,073,233  persons  gainfully  employed,  were  women. 

Some  occupations  in  which  there  was  an  increase  in 
the  per  cent  of  women  employed  and  a  corresponding  de- 
crease in  the  per  cent  of  men  employed  are  as  follows :  — 

The  percentage  of  women  teachers  to  the  total  number 
of  teachers  rose  from  67.6  in  1880  to  73.3  in  1900. 

The  percentage  of  women  "  musicians  and  teachers  of 
music"  rose  from  43  in  1880  to  56.4  in  1900. 

1  This  fact  becomes  more  significant  when  we  discover  that  in  1850 
only  free  males,  fifteen  years  of  age  and  over,  were  included  in  the  occu- 
pation returns,  while  in  1870,  1880,  1890,  and  1900  all  persons  ten  years 
of  age  and  over  were  included. 


DEMAND  FOR  WORKERS  77 

The  percentage  of  women  employed  as  government 
officials  from  3.1  in  1880  to  9.4  in  1900. 

The  percentage  of  women  "  artists  and  teachers  of  art " 
from  22.5  to  43.8. 

The  percentage  of  women  employed  in  "literary  and 
scientific  pursuits"  from  11.9  to  31.8. 

The  only  occupation  in  1900  in  the  professional  class 
in  which  there  was  not  an  increase  in  the  per  cent  of 
women  employed,  was  that  of  "actors,  professional  show- 
men, etc.,"  in  which  the  increase  in  the  per  cent  of  men 
employed  was  from  72.5  in  1880  to  79.1  in  1900. 

"  In  the  cases  of  architects,  clergymen,  dentists,  lawyers, 
and  physicians  and  surgeons,  the  percentages  of  women 
in  1900  were  small,  but  showed  a  marked  advance  as  com- 
pared with  the  1880  percentages." l 

For  further  changes  in  the  per  cent  of  men  and  women 
employed  in  the  different  occupations,  see  the  United  States 
Census  for  1900,  volume  on  Occupations,  Table  XLVIII 
and  pages  cxxxvii  to  cxxxix. 

Two  tables  are  appended  to  this  chapter ;  one  (Table  n) 
giving  the  twenty  occupations  which  in  1900  employed 
the  greatest  number  of  persons  of  both  sexes,  the  twenty 
occupations  employing  the  greatest  number  of  men,  and 
the  twenty  employing  the  greatest  number  of  women.  The 
other  table  (Table  in)  gives  the  occupations  in  which 
the  total  number  of  persons  has  increased  most,  and  the 
occupations  in  which  the  number  of  women  employed 
has  increased  most. 

1  See  United  States  Census,  1900,  volume  on  Occupations,  p.  cxxxvii. 


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82  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

Sources  for  the  Movement  of  Demand 
For  fuller  information  on  Table  i  refer  as  follows :  — 

U.  S.  Census,  1900.  Volume  on  Occupations,  Table  xxn. 
Number  of  Persons  Engaged  in  Gainful  Occupations  and  in 
Each  Main  Class  by  States  and  Territories,  1880,  1890,  and 
1900.  Also  volumes  on  Population,  Part  I,  Table  vn.  Popu- 
lation of  States  and  Territories  Arranged  Geographically,  1870- 
1900. 

For  Tables  n  and  in  in  this  chapter,  refer  to  the  Census  Tables 
in  and  iv  in  the  volume  on  Occupations.  Figures  for  1850  are 
found  in  Table  v  in  the  same  volume. 

For  summaries  of  the  most  marked  changes  shown  in  the  per 
cent  of  men  and  women  employed  in  the  different  occupations, 
see  volume  on  Occupations,  pp.  cxxxvii  to  cxxxix.  See  also  Table 
XLVIII.  Per  cent  Distribution  of  Men,  Women,  and  Children  of 
Persons  Engaged  in  Specified  Occupations,  1880, 1900. 

Further  references  which  may  prove  of  interest  are  the  follow- 
ing from  the  volume  on  Occupations :  — 

Table  xxxiv.  Distribution  by  Specified  Occupations  of  Males 
and  of  Females  in  each  Principal  Element  of  the  Population 
Gainfully  Employed,  1890-1900. 

Table  XLIV.  Distribution  by  Sex  of  Persons  Engaged  in  Speci- 
fied Occupations  in  1900  with  per  cent  Distribution  for  1880  and 
1890. 

Table  LXXXVIII.  Number  of  Males  in  Specified  Occupations 
Unemployed  during  any  Portion  of  the  Census  Year,  compared 
with  the  Total  Number  of  Males  so  Occupied,  1890  and  1900. 

Table  LXXXIX.  Number  of  Females  in  Specified  Occupations 
Unemployed  during  any  Portion  of  the  Census  Year,  compared 
with  the  Total  Number  of  Females  so  Occupied,  1890  and  1900. 


XI 


THE  GEOGRAPHICAL  DISTRIBUTION  OF  WORKERS  IN 
THE  DIFFERENT  INDUSTRIES  AMONG  THE  STATES, 
TERRITORIES,  AND  CHIEF  CITIES  OF  THE  UNITED 
STATES,  1900 

IN  finding  the  geographical  distribution  throughout  the 
United  States  of  workers  in  the  different  industries,  two 
sets  of  figures  will  be  found  useful.  First,  figures  showing 
the  actual  numbers  employed  in  the  different  occupations 
in  the  various  sections  of  the  country.  These  will  be  useful 
chiefly  in  such  industries  as  manufacturing,  where  the  de- 
mand for  workers  in  a  particular  section  is  not  necessarily 
in  proportion  to  the  population,  and  where  the  chances  of 
the  prospective  worker  are  perhaps  greater  in  a  section 
in  which  already  large  numbers  are  employed.  In  such 
occupations  it  will  be  useful  to  know  the  chief  geographi- 
cal centres.  This  can  easily  be  done  by  finding,  from  the 
figures  already  mentioned,  what  state,  city,  or  section  of 
the  country  employs  most  workers  in  the  given  industry. 
For  instance,  we  find,  in  the  United  States  Census  for 
1900  *  that  the  chief  centre  of  the  glass  industry  in  1900 
was  Pennsylvania,  where  there  were  15,765  workmen  em- 
ployed. Indiana,  with  10,590  glass  workers,  came  next. 
Again,  in  the  same  way,  we  find  Pennsylvania  to  be  the 
chief  centre  of  stove,  furnace,  and  grate  manufacturing. 
Another  set  of  figures  would  be  more  directly  useful  in 
the  case  of  occupations  where  the  demand  for  workers  is 
more  or  less  in  proportion  to  population,  e.  g.  in  the  case 
of  doctors,  lawyers,  servants,  house-painters,  etc.  In  the 

1  Volume  on  Occupations,  Table  xxxn. 


84  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

case  of  those  seeking  employment  in  such  occupations,  it 
is  obviously  well  to  know  what  sections  are  overstocked, 
and  in  what  places  their  services  are  likely  to  be  most  in 
demand.  This  is  one  object  of  the  second  set  of  figures, 
which  gives  us  the  number  of  persons  employed  in  the 
different  occupations  per  thousand  of  population  in  the 
states,  territories,  and  chief  cities  of  the  United  States. 
Unfortunately,  as  the  Census  is  published  only  once  in 
every  ten  years,  and  these  figures  therefore  cannot  be  kept 
up  to  date,  much  of  their  value  is  lost.  They  are  still  of 
use,  however,  in  showing  to  what  extent  a  city  or  state 
has  specialized  in  any  industry,  that  is,  in  showing  what 
proportion  of  the  city  or  state  population  is  employed  in 
the  industry  given. 

The  table  on  pages  86,  87  has  been  prepared  to  summa- 
rize briefly  the  geographical  distribution  of  demand,  and 
to  illustrate  further  the  purpose  of  the  two  sets  of  figures 
mentioned.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  South  Central  and 
the  South  Atlantic  Division  of  states  employ  more  persons 
in  agriculture  in  proportion  to  their  population  than  any 
other  sections  specified  (the  South  Central  Division  em- 
ploying 234.4  per  thousand,  and  the  South  Atlantic  194.6 
per  thousand).  The  North  Central  Division  employs  only 
133.2  per  thousand  of  its  population,  yet  contains  actually 
a  greater  number  of  persons  in  agricultural  pursuits  than 
either  the  South  Central  or  the  South  Atlantic  Divisions. 

Thus  from  the  two  sets  of  figures  we  obtain  two  kinds 
of  facts.  From  the  figures  giving  the  actual  numbers  em- 
ployed, we  find  to  what  extent  an  industry  is  "  localized  " ; 
that  is,  to  what  sections  of  the  country,  to  what  states, 
territories,  or  cities  it  may  be  more  or  less  confined,  and 
what  per  cent  of  the  total  number  is  employed  in  these 
geographical  centres.  Again,  we  discover  from  the  second 
set  of  figures  to  what  extent  a  given  section  of  the  country, 
a  state,  territory,  or  city,  may  have  specialized  in  certain 
industries,  that  is,  what  proportion  of  the  state  or  city 


DISTRIBUTION  OF  WORKERS  85 

population  gainfully  employed  is  engaged  in  the  industries 
given. 

The  figures  in  Table  rv  are  intended  to  illustrate  these 
points.  Of  course,  in  geographical  distribution,  just  as 
much  as  in  the  movement  of  demand,  figures  relating  to 
specific  industries  are  of  more  practical  value. 

The  following  are  a  few  striking  instances  of  localization 
in  specified  industries.  In  1900  turpentine  farming  was 
confined  wholly  to  these  Southern  states,  —  Alabama, 
Florida,  Georgia,  Louisiana,  Mississippi,  North  and  South 
Carolina,  which  employed  all  the  turpentine  farmers  and 
laborers  in  the  country.  Georgia,  Florida,  and  Alabama 
together  employed  85.1  per  cent  of  the  total  number. 
Georgia  alone  employed  43.9  per  cent. 

The  silk  manufacturing  industry  was  localized  chiefly 
in  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania.  In  1900,  71.1  per  cent 
of  the  total  number  of  silk  mill  operatives  in  the  United 
States  were  there  employed,  while  38.3  per  cent  of  the 
total  number  were  in  New  Jersey  alone. 

The  states  employing  the  greatest  number  of  quarry- 
men  were  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  Ohio,  Vermont,  In- 
diana, and  Massachusetts;  56.1  per  cent  of  the  total  num- 
ber of  quarrymen  in  the  country  were  employed  in  these 
states,  and  22.4  per  cent  of  the  total  number  in  Pennsyl- 
vania alone. 

The  manufacture  of  boots  and  shoes,  we  find,  centred 
chiefly  in  the  following  North  Atlantic  states,  —  Massachu- 
setts, New  Hampshire,  New  York,  and  Maine,  which  to- 
gether employed  71 .4  per  cent  of  the  total  number  of  boot 
and  shoe  makers  and  repairers  in  the  United  States. 
Massachusetts  alone  employed  50.3  per  cent. 

An  instance  of  specialization  in  industry  is  found  in 
Brockton,  Mass.,  where  almost  one  half  of  the  total  num- 
ber of  persons  gainfully  employed  come  under  the  head- 
ing of  "  Boot  and  shoe  makers  and  repairers."  Again  in 
Lawrence,  Mass.,  more  than  one  quarter  of  the  total 


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88  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

number  of  persons  gainfully  employed  are  woolen  mill 
operatives. 

Sources 

For  specific  information  on  these  subjects,  consult  the  United 
States  Census  for  1900,  the  volume  on  Occupations  and  the  vol- 
umes on  Population,  Part  I. 

For  Table  iv  hi  this  chapter,  the  following  Census  Tables 
were  used :  — 

Volume  on  Occupations,  Table  xxu.  The  Number  of  Persons 
Engaged  in  Gainful  Occupations  and  in  Each  Main  Class  by 
States  and  Territories,  1880,  1890,  and  1900. 

Volume  on  Population,  Part  I,  Table  vn.  Population  of  States 
and  Territories  Arranged  Geographically,  1790-1900. 

For  all  facts  regarding  specific  industries,  consult  the  volume 
on  Occupations,  Table  xxxu.  States  and  Territories  —  Total 
Persons  ten  years  of  age  and  over,  engaged  in  each  of  303  speci- 
fied occupations,  1900. 

Table  XLII,  Principal  Cities.  Total  Males  and  Females,  ten 
years  of  age  and  over  employed  in  each  of  140  groups  of  occupa- 
tions, for  cities  having  25,000  inhabitants  or  more,  1900. 

Further  references  which  may  prove  of  interest  are  as  follows :  — 

Volume  on  Occupations,  Table  XLI.  Total  Males  and  Females, 
ten  years  of  age  and  over  Engaged  in  Selected  Groups  of  Occu- 
pations, classified  by  General  Nativity,  Color,  Conjugal  Condi- 
tion, Months  Unemployed,  Age  periods,  and  Parentage,  by  States 
and  Territories,  1900. 

Table  XLIII  the  same  for  cities  having  50,000  inhabitants 
or  more.  Volumes  on  Manufacturers,  Part  I,  pp.  cxc,  ccx, 
Localization  of  Industries  (determined  by  value  of  products). 

Table  iv,  pp.  66-464.  Specified  Industries  by  States  and  Ter- 
ritories, giving  facts  for  each  Industry,  regarding  Number  of 
Establishments,  Capital,  Power,  Number  of  Proprietors  and 
Firm  Members,  Number  and  Salaries  of  Officials  and  Clerks; 
Greatest  Number  of  Wage  Earners  Employed  at  any  one  time 
during  the  year;  Least  Number  Employed  at  any  one  time  dur- 
ing the  year. 


PART  III 
THE  ORGANIZATION  AND  THE  WORK 


XII 

THE  VOCATION  BUREAU 

THE  Vocation  Bureau  of  Boston  was  founded  in  January, 
1908,  by  Mrs.  Quincy  A.  Shaw,  on  plans  drawn  up  by 
the  writer.  More  than  a  dozen  years  ago  I  stated  the 
essence  of  the  matter  in  a  lecture  on  "  The  Ideal  City." 
That  lecture  was  repeated  in  Boston  before  the  Economic 
Club  a  few  years  ago,  and  soon  after  Mr.  Meyer  Bloom- 
field  and  Mr.  Philip  Davis,  on  behalf  of  the  Civic  Service 
House,  invited  me  to  speak  to  the  graduating  class  of  one 
of  the  evening  high  schools  on  the  choice  of  a  vocation. 
After  the  talk  a  number  of  the  young  men  asked  for  personal 
interviews,  and  the  results  proved  to  be  so  helpful  that 
Mr.  Bloomfield  requested  me  to  draw  plans  for  the  per- 
manent organization  of  the  work.  These  plans  were  sub- 
mitted to  Mrs.  Shaw,  who  heartily  approved  the  idea,  and 
immediately  established  the  new  institution  with  sufficient 
resources  to  enable  the  work  to  be  begun  as  a  new  depart- 
ment of  the  Civic  Service  House  in  the  North  End  of 
Boston. 

Although  the  work  is  very  young  and  a  good  deal  of 
time  in  these  few  months  has  been  consumed  in  the  pro- 
cess of  organization,  a  large  number  of  men  and  women 
from  fifteen  to  seventy-two  years  of  age  have  come  to  us 
for  consultation,  and,  according  to  their  own  statements, 
all  but  two  have  received  much  light  and  help,  some  even 
declaring  that  the  interview  with  the  counselor  was  the 
most  important  hour  of  their  lives.  Among  the  applicants 
have  been  Harvard  seniors,  students  from  Dartmouth  and 
other  neighboring  colleges,  a  number  of  college  graduates, 


92  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

young  men  in  commercial  and  business  life,  and  some 
older  ones,  including  an  ex-bank-president  of  splendid 
ability,  and  a  traveling  salesman  who  at  one  time  made 
sales  amounting  to  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  a  year. 

The  majority  of  applicants,  however,  have  been  boys 
and  girls  from  the  high  schools  or  working  boys  and  girls 
of  high  school  age. 

A  Vocation  Department  has  been  established  by  the 
Boston  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  as  a  branch  of 
the  Bureau,  and  the  counselor  has  kept  regular  appoint- 
ments at  the  Women's  Educational  and  Industrial  Union 
and  at  the  Twentieth  Century  Club. 

The  Bureau  does  not  attempt  to  decide  for  any  boy  what 
occupation  he  should  choose,  but  aims  to  help  him  investi- 
gate the  subject  and  come  to  a  conclusion  on  his  own  ac- 
count, that  is  much  more  likely  to  be  valid  and  useful 
than  if  no  effort  were  made  to  apply  scientific  methods  to 
the  problem.  Our  mottoes  are  Light,  Information,  In- 
spiration, Cooperation. 


XIII 

THE  SCHOOL  FOR  VOCATIONAL  COUNSELORS 

THE  Vocation  Department  of  the  Boston  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  has  established  a  school  for  voca- 
tional counselors,  to  train  men  for  carrying  on  vocational 
bureau  work  in  connection  with  Young  Men's  Christian 
Associations,  schools,  colleges,  universities,  social  settle- 
ments, and  business  establishments.  The  employment 
department  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  acts  in  coordination  with 
the  vocation  department. 

The  demand  for  vocational  counselors  able  to  do  the  kind 
of  work  described  in  the  preceding  sections  is  growing 
very  rapidly.  The  present  staff  of  workers  is  wholly  in- 
adequate to  the  need  of  this  city  alone,  and  the  widespread 
practical  interest  in  the  new  institution  justifies  the  belief 
that  the  movement  will  soon  become  a  national  one. 
The  prospects  are  that  vocational  guidance  will  be  made 
a  part  of  the  service  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.'s  and  other  edu- 
cational institutions  in  all  our  principal  cities,  as  fast  as 
competent  men  can  be  secured. 

To  fit  men  for  this  new  vocation,  this  pioneer  school  for 
the  training  of  counselors  has  been  established. 

The  work  consists  of  lectures,  research,  practice  by  the 
laboratory  method,  reports  of  results,  conferences,  dis- 
cussions and  special  tests  subject  to  the  criticism  of  the 
instructor  and  the  members  of  the  class.  At  least  three 
hours  a  week  are  given  by  each  member  to  this  laboratory 
practice,  examining  applicants  for  vocational  advice,  and 
formulating  the  counsel  believed  to  be  appropriate  for  the 
solution  of  the  specific  problem  presented  by  each  case. 


94  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

Members  are  called  upon  from  time  to  time  to  examine 
applicants  in  the  presence  of  the  class,  and  then  (after  the 
applicant  has  retired)  they  analyze  the  facts  obtained, 
and  state  the  points  of  counsel  and  suggestion  they  think 
the  case  calls  for.  The  presence  of  the  instructor  and  the 
class,  and  their  observations,  questions,  and  criticisms, 
upon  the  proceedings,  give  this  sort  of  practice  the  highest 
educational  value.  Practical  talks  by  leading  business 
and  professional  men  and  representatives  of  important  in- 
dustrial interests  will  also  constitute  an  important  feature 
of  the  course. 

To  enter  the  vocational  course  a  man  must  have  excel- 
lent character  and  ability,  good  manners  and  address, 
at  least  a  high  school  education  or  its  equivalent,  and  a 
satisfactory  experience  of  two  years  or  more  in  teaching 
or  business  or  social  work,  or  a  satisfactory  equivalent 
for  such  experience.  And  he  must  have  attained  the  age 
of  twenty-five  years,  unless  very  mature  at  an  earlier  age. 

The  time  required  will  be  one,  two,  or  three  terms,  ac- 
cording to  the  ability  and  previous  preparation  of  the  stu- 
dent. A  certificate  of  proficiency  will  be  given  at  the  end 
of  any  term  in  which  the  practical  results  achieved  by 
the  particular  student  justify  his  enrollment  as  an  expert, 
qualified  to  test  the  abilities  and  capacities  of  young  men, 
apply  good  judgment,  common  sense,  and  scientific  method 
to  the  various  problems  a  vocation  bureau  has  to  deal  with, 
and  give  appropriate  counsel  with  the  insight,  sympathy, 
grasp,  and  suggestiveness  the  service  calls  for. 

In  addition  to  mature  judgment,  a  character  and  per- 
sonality that  invite  respect  and  confidence,  and  a  good 
general  education,  including  some  knowledge  of  history, 
civics,  and  economics,  a  vocational  counselor  should  pos- 
sess :  (1)  A  practical  working  knowledge  of  the  fundamen- 
tal principles  and  methods  of  modern  psychology.  (2) 
An  experience  involving  sufficient  human  contact  to  give 
him  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  human  nature  in  a  con- 


SCHOOL  FOR  VOCATIONAL  COUNSELORS    95 

siderable  number  of  its  different  types  and  phases;  he 
must  understand  the  dominant  motives,  interests,  and 
ambitions  that  control  the  lives  of  men,  and  be  able  to 
recognize  the  symptoms  that  indicate  the  presence  or  ab- 
sence of  important  elements  of  character.  (3)  Ability  to 
deal  with  young  people  in  a  sympathetic,  earnest,  search- 
ing, candid,  helpful,  and  attractive  way.  Sympathy,  can- 
dor, and  a  genuine  desire  to  be  of  service  are  the  primary 
elements  here ;  but  tact,  intellectual  grasp,  and  a  sort  of  in- 
ventiveness, or  suggestiveness  that  is  near  of  kin  to  it,  are 
also  essential  factors.  (4)  A  knowledge  of  requirements  and 
conditions  of  success,  compensation,  prospects,  advan- 
tages, and  disadvantages,  etc.,  in  the  different  lines  of  in- 
dustry. (5)  Information  relating  to  courses  of  study  and 
means  of  preparing  for  various  callings  and  developing 
efficiency  therein.  (6)  Scientific  method  —  analysis  and 
the  principles  of  investigation  by  which  laws  and  causes 
are  ascertained,  facts  are  classified,  and  correct  conclu- 
sions drawn.  The  counselor  must  be  able  to  recognize 
the  essential  facts  and  principles  involved  in  each  case, 
group  them  according  to  their  true  relations,  and  draw 
the  conclusions  they  justify. 


XIV 

SUPPLEMENTARY  HELPS 

MOST  of  the  material  which  has  hitherto  been  used  by  the 
Bureau  has  already  been  given  and  described  in  these 
chapters.  Much  additional  help  will  occur  to  any  inventive 
or  inquiring  person  who  undertakes  this  work. 

It  is  important  to  have  abundant  material  relating  to 
apprenticeship  methods  of  training.  The  counselor  also 
should  have  full  information  about  the  vocation  schools 
of  his  own  and  other  states.  He  should  tabulate  all  the 
day  and  evening  courses  given  in  his  community  that  have 
a  vocational  bearing,  noting  the  opportunities  for  self- 
support  while  studying,  so  that  young  men  and  women 
can  see  at  a  glance  all  the  educational  advantages  that 
bear  upon  their  problems.  Local  and  class  employment 
agencies  should  be  thoroughly  studied,  and  the  "help 
wants"  of  newspapers  should  be  practiced  upon  until 
the  counselor  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  their  general 
nature. 

If  the  counselor  finds  the  memory  of  the  applicant  be- 
low the  standard,  he  gives  the  youth  a  printed  analysis 
of  the  means  of  developing  the  memory  and  securing  the 
best  results  from  it,  with  a  little  talk  to  emphasize  the 
importance  of  memory  and  method  as  the  foundations  of 
mastery,  grasp,  and  efficient  performance. 

A  leaflet  called  "  Suggestions  for  a  Plan  of  Life  "  is  also 
given  in  many  cases,  with  oral  instructions  sufficient  to 
make  it  vital  to  the  recipient.  It  is  intended  to  direct  at- 
tention to  the  elements  essential  to  an  all-round,  symmet- 
rical development,  and  the  value  of  making  a  good  plan 


SUPPLEMENTARY  HELPS  97 

and  living  up  to  it  instead  of  drifting  through  life  like  a 
rudderless  boat. 

Not  less  important  is  the  work  done  in  the  direction 
of  developing  civic  interest.  The  boy  is  impressed  with 
the  fact  that  he  is,  or  soon  will  be,  one  of  the  directors 
and  rulers  of  the  United  States,  that  his  part  in  civic  af- 
fairs is  quite  as  important  as  his  occupation,  vital  as  that 
undoubtedly  is,  that  all-round  manhood  should  be  the 
aim,  that  making  a  living  is  only  one  arc  of  the  circle,  and 
that  he  must  study  to  be  a  good  citizen  as  well  as  a  good 
worker. 

The  Bureau's  leaflets  entitled  "Civic  Suggestions," 
"Lincoln's  Message  to  Young  Men,"  and  "Analysis  of 
Parliamentary  Law,"  are  very  useful  in  this  connection. 
The  latter  enables  the  young  man  to  fit  himself  with  very 
little  effort  to  join  in  the  discussions  of  a  town  meeting, 
young  men's  congress,  or  debating  society,  or  preside  over 
a  meeting  with  credit  to  himself  if  called  to  the  chair. 
Very  often  the  youth  can  be  led  to  read  and  analyze  a  series 
of  good  books  on  government  and  public  questions,  be- 
ginning perhaps  with  Dole  and  Fiske  on  Citizenship  and 
Civil  Government,  or  with  Bryce's  "  American  Common- 
wealth," and  continuing  with  the  works  of  Albert  Shaw, 
Zueblin,  Howe,  and  Steffens,  the  famous  speeches  of 
Wendell  Phillips,  and  the  messages  of  Lincoln,  Washing- 
ton, and  Roosevelt,  the  important  problem  books,  such  as 
"  The  Truth  About  the  Trusts,"  "  Wealth  against  Com- 
monwealth," "Labor  Copartnership,"  "The  Story  of  New 
Zealand,"  etc.,  and  some  of  the  principal  books  on  his- 
tory, economics,  and  sociology. 

To  those  who  are  just  starting  a  vocation  bureau  the 
four  leaflets,  "To  Young  People,"  "To  Workers,"  "To 
Employers,"  and  "Instruction  to  Those  Desiring  the 
Service  of  the  Bureau,"  will  be  helpfully  suggestive. 

Copies  of  some  of  these  supplementary  helps  are  printed 
herewith :  — 


98  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 


TO  EMPLOYERS 

The  percentage  of  inefficiency  and  change  you  may  experience 
in  your  working  force,  and  the  cost  it  entails  in  employment 
expense,  waste  of  training,  and  low-grade  service,  are  largely 
due  to  the  haphazard  way  by  which  young  men  and  women 
drift  into  this  or  that  employment,  with  little  or  no  regard  to 
adaptability,  and  without  adequate  preparation  or  any  definite 
aim  or  well-considered  plan  to  insure  efficiency,  devotion,  and 
development. 

This  Bureau  constitutes  the  first  attempt  to  take  practical  steps 
to  remedy  these  conditions  through  expert  counsel  and  guid- 
ance in  the  selection  of  a  vocation,  the  preparation  for  it  and  the 
transition  from  school  to  work. 

In  its  efforts  to  aid  workers  develop  their  efficiency  and  im- 
prove their  condition,  and  assist  those  about  to  select  a  voca- 
tion to  choose  wisely,  prepare  carefully,  and  find  opportunities 
of  employment  in  lines  of  industry  to  which  they  are  adapted, 
this  Bureau  invites  your  cooperation. 

The  principal  methods  employed  in  our  work  are :  — 

1.  Self-Analysis.    The  applicant  is  made  to  realize  clearly 
his   aptitudes,  abilities,  ambitions,  preparation,  resources,  and 
limitations,  and  to  see  their  relation  to  the  requirements  and 
conditions  of  success  in  various  callings.    As  it  is,  few  ever  sit 
down  with  pencil  and  paper,  with  expert  information  and  coun- 
sel, to  plan  a  working  career  and  deal  with  the  life  problem 
scientifically,  as  they  would  deal  with  the  problem  of  building  a 
house,  taking  the  advice  of  an  architect  to  help  them. 

2.  Information  in  respect  to  the  conditions  of  success  in  dif- 
ferent industries,  the  initial  requirements,  compensation,  immedi- 
ate and  prospective,  and  the  means  of  preparation  and  develop- 
ment, is  an  important  part  of  our  work;   as  is  also  specific 
information  as  to  opportunities  in  various  lines  of  work,  so  that 
young  people  may  be  aided  in  placing  themselves  rightly,  and 
employers  may  be  aided  in  securing  the  type  of  ability  and  char- 
acter they  need  for  specific  work.  The  social  and  industrial  bene- 
fits of  a  more  careful  correlation  of  opportunity  and  ability  are 
incalculable.    We  are  just  drifting  to-day  with  planless  methods 
of  adapting  and  distributing  labor,  both  skilled  and  unskilled. 

3.  Stimulation  is  equally  important.  There  are  fine  ambitions 


SUPPLEMENTARY  HELPS  99 

in  every  youth,  which  if  sought  out  and  fed  with  knowledge  and 
sympathy  will  grow  strong  and  clear  enough  to  control  the  life. 
Show  a  man  how  to  improve  his  efficiency  and  social  and  econo- 
mic value,  and  the  benefits  that  will  result,  and  give  him  appre- 
ciation in  his  efforts,  and  he  generally  needs  no  urging  to  adopt 
the  means  of  self-development. 

4.  Cooperation.   The  Bureau  will  actively  cooperate  with  the 
applicant  in  his  efforts  to  secure  the  training  he  may  need,  and 
to  find  employment  for  which  he  is  fitted  or  shall  fit  himself. 

5.  Systematic  Guidance  and  Help,  which  ordinarily  do  not 
extend  beyond  the  school  life,  are  continued  by  the  Vocation 
Bureau  into  the  working  life,  so  that  there  may  be  no  break  or 
gulf  between  the  school  and  work,  but  a  smooth,  clear  path  from 
one  to  the  other,  with  a  definite  plan  for  the  future,  more  ade- 
quate preparation  for  the  work  to  be  doae,  and  more  efficient 
performance  of  it.   We  care  for  the  children  with  great  solicitude 
till  they  are  out  of  the  grammar  or  high  school  and  then  drop 
them  into  this  complex  world,  with  practically  no  industrial 
information  or  foresight,  to  sink  or  swim,  as  the  case  may  be. 
There  is  really  no  time  of  life  when  more  careful  counsel  and  in- 
struction are  needed  than  in  the  transition  from  school  to  work. 

In  short,  the  aim  of  the  Bureau  is  intelligent,  well-directed, 
scientific  choice  of  occupation  and  adaptation  to  it,  so  far  as  cir- 
cumstances permit,  instead  of  haphazard,  planless  choice,  by 
chance  or  whim,  or  uninformed  selection,  and  needlessly  imper- 
fect adaptation  in  many  cases,  resulting  in  a  great  number  of 
misfits  and  a  large  degree  of  inefficiency. 

The  Bureau  specially  asks  the  cooperation  of  employers  in 
securing  as  full  and  definite  information  as  possible  regarding  the 
opportunities  offered  by  different  industries  and  the  conditions 
of  success  therein,  and  in  affording  opportunities  for  the  Secretary 
or  other  representatives  of  the  Bureau  to  speak  to  groups  of  em- 
ployees and  make  appointments  with  them  for  individual  confer- 
ence and  consultation. 

TO  WORKERS 

If  you  wish  expert  counsel  in  the  analysis  of  your  possibilities 
and  the  conditions  of  success  in  your  line  of  effort,  and  in  the 
selection  and  adoption  of  the  best  means  for  achieving  the  full- 
est success  of  which  you  are  capable,  this  Bureau  will  gladly  aid 


100  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

you  for  the  good  that  will  come  to  you  and  to  the  public  from 
the  development  of  your  economic  value  and  the  improvement 
of  your  industrial  condition.  Its  services  are  free.  It  is  part  of 
the  social  work  of  the  Civic  Service  House  in  cooperation  with 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  the  Economic  Club, 
and  the  Women's  Educational  and  Industrial  Union. 

If  you  find  that  you  are  not  adapted  to  the  work  in  which  you 
are  engaged,  the  Bureau  will  aid  you  in  determining  what 
occupation  may  be  better  suited  to  your  capacities  and  powers, 
and  in  selecting  the  best  available  means  of  preparing  for  it 
and  building  up  a  successful  career. 


TO  YOUNG  PEOPLE 

STUDENTS   AND   OTHERS   CONSIDERING   THE   QUESTION   OF 
THEIR   LIFE   WORK 

The  wise  selection  of  the  business,  profession,  trade,  or  occu- 
pation, to  which  you  are  to  devote  yourself,  and  the  building  of 
a  successful  career  in  your  chosen  vocation,  are  matters  of  great 
moment  to  you  and  to  the  public.  These  vital  problems  should 
be  solved  in  a  careful,  scientific  way,  with  due  regard  to  your 
aptitudes,  abilities,  ambitions,  resources,  and  limitations,  and 
the  relations  of  these  elements  to  the  conditions  of  success  in 
different  industries.  Definite  knowledge  of  yourself  and  of 
the  opportunities,  requirements,  compensation,  immediate  and 
prospective,  etc.,  in  various  callings,  is  essential.  Systematic  in- 
formation as  to  the  best  means  of  preparation  within  your  reach, 
and  the  methods  by  which  others  have  succeeded,  is  also  most 
desirable. 

This  Bureau  was  established  to  help  you  in  all  these  matters 
by  counsel,  guidance,  information,  and  cooperation.  Its  services 
are  free. 

Many  have  already  been  greatly  helped  in  the  ways  suggested 
—  helped  to  find  their  true  vocation,  —  the  business  or  occupa- 
tion to  which  their  abilities  and  resources  best  adapt  them,  and 
to  find  an  opening  in  that  vocation  and  the  means  of  attaining 
efficiency  and  success ;  and  the  experience  of  each  of  these  young 
men  and  women  helps  to  light  the  way  for  others. 

The  guidance  given  in  school  days  generally  ceases  when  the 


SUPPLEMENTARY  HELPS  101 

student  leaves  the  grammar  school  or  high  school  or  college  to 
begin  work.  Yet  there  is  really  no  time  of  life  when  wise  counsel 
and  expert  assistance  are  more  needful  than  in  the  transition  from 
school  to  the  new  life  of  labor. 

No  one  would  think  of  building  a  dwelling  or  a  business  block 
without  carefully  selecting  an  appropriate  and  advantageous  site 
and  drawing  a  well-considered  plan  with  the  help  of  an  architect 
or  expert  builder.  And  in  building  a  career  it  is  quite  as  im- 
portant to  make  a  wise  location,  lay  the  foundations  properly, 
and  work  up  by  a  well-considered,  scientific  plan. 

It  is  better  to  sail  with  compass  and  chart  than  to  drift  into  an 
occupation  haphazard  or  by  chance,  proximity,  or  uninformed 
selection;  and  drift  on  through  it  without  reaching  any  port 
worthy  of  the  voyage. 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  A  PLAN  OF  LIFE1 


Study  the  LA  WS  and  CA  USES  of  things  and  of  human  action,  grasp 
PRINCIPLES  as  well  as  FACTS,  and  attend  most  carefully  to 
METHOD,  SYSTEM,  PROPORTION,  and  DEVELOPMENT 
in  relation  to  the  various  life  values  noted  in  the  following  analysis. 


Health  :  Fresh  air,  life  is  combustion; 

Longevity 

DON'T 

the  furnace  blast,  deep  breath- 

be too 

ing,    open    windows.      Good 
food,   well    chewed;    in    due 
quantity  and  variety.     Exer- 

Power 

familiar 
with  ice  water, 

cise;  moral  duty  to  perspire 

Growth 

tea,  coffee, 

each    day.      Bathing.      Rest. 

of  body, 

tobacco,  or 

Clothing  warm  and  easy.  Good 

mind, 

alcoholics. 

society;    good  nature;   clear 
conscience;  earnest  purpose. 

and  soul. 

Avoid  excess, 
dissipation,  and 

Activity  :  Amount  and  quality.    Pro- 

Education 

disease;  and 

portion  of  different  varieties  ; 
differences    between    nations 
and  individuals. 

life-long, 
for  power, 

be  very  careful 
about  drugs 

and  doctors* 

not  for  exams. 

Development  of  power,  ability,  and 

character,  by  systematic,  per- 
sistent effort  under  the  laws  of 

Enthusiasm 

DON'T  be 

habit  and  reflex  action. 

tempered 

idle,  sluggish, 

with 

inattentive, 

Kind  :  Memory,  reason,  imagination. 
Observe,    read,   converse,  an- 

moderation and 
self-control. 

non-progressive. 

alyze,  and  digest.    Search  for 

laws  and  causes.     Learn  the 

methods  of  discovering  truth, 

Simplicity, 

AVOID 

and  arriving  at  correct   con- 
clusions.   Test    your    results 
again  and  again.    Absorb  the 

Certainty, 
Breadth. 

ill-logic, 
prejudice 

best  books.  Study  psychology 

bigotry, 

and  the  laws  of  human  nature 
so  as  to  understand  yourself 

Symmetry, 

empty-minded- 
ness 

and    others.     Organize    your 
knowledge.      Marshal       your 

proportion, 
adaptation, 

hasty  conclu-  - 

facts  and   principles  in  com- 
panies  and   battalions  under 

emphasis. 

sions, 
wrong  methods 

your  command.    Reduce  what 

of  observation 

you  learn  to  its  lowest  terms, 
master  it  and  use  it.   Cultivate 

Coordination 

and  reasoning. 

imaginative  power  and  invent- 

and balance. 

iveness.     "Watch     the     inner 

Regard 

light.     Keep   curiosity   alive, 
and  avail  yourself  of  scientific 
method. 

substance  and 
cause 
more  than 

DON'T  read 
trash. 

Character  ;  Truth,  sympathy,  justice. 
Be  honest,  trutnful,  reliable, 

form  and 
circumstance. 

DON'T  be 

prompt,  effective.    Keep  your 

stubborn 

engagements.    Be  just,  recep- 
tive, open-minded,  and  toler- 

Keep sweet 

surly, 

ant,  but  do  your  own  thinking. 

and 

pugilistic, 

Be  reasonably  consistent.    Be 
candid,    kindly,    sympathetic, 
cooperative,  progressive,  good 
natured,  cheerful,  industrious, 

do  right. 
Morals 
summed  up 

unruly, 
careless, 
unreceptive, 

methodical,   persistent,  hope- 

in the 

unreliable, 

ful,  modest. 

Golden  Rule. 

dishonest. 

»  Copyright,  1905,  by  Frank  Partont. 

SUPPLEMENTARY  HELPS 


103 


Avoid  in  yourself  what  you 
do  not  like  in  others.  Develop 
desirable  elements  of  character 
by  daily  practice,  just  as  you 
C.  Z.  -|  develop  your  muscles  and  your 
mental  faculties.  And  get  your 
friends  to  help  you  by  calling 
your  attention  to  defects  in 
your  character. 

Occupation.  Choose  your  occupation 
carefully  and  master  it  thor- 
oughly. Make  money,  but 
don't  worship  it  or  be  a  slave 
to  it.  Money  is  for  life,  not 
life  for  money. 

Recreation :  Make  it  a  balance  to  your 
work. 

Manners.  Repeat  C.  Z.  here,  chang- 
ing "character"  to  "man- 
ners." 

Accomplishments.  Conversation  as  a 
fine  art.  The  tunes  of  speech. 
The  beauty  that  shines  through 
from  within. 

Relationships :  Friendship,  marriage, 
family  life,  citizenship,  busi- 
ness and  social  life. 

Exercise  good  judgment, 
care,  common  sense,  and  sys- 
tem, as  well  as  emotion,  in 
them  all.  Care  is  quite  as  ne- 
cessary in  choosing  a  wife  or  a 
husband  as  in  choosing  a  horse. 
And  bringing  up  a  child  is 
quite  as  complex  and  difficult, 
and  needs  quite  as  much  pre- 
paration, as  running  a  locomo- 
tive. Citizenship  also  demands 
your  best  thought;  understand 
the  movements  of  your  age  and 
the  questions  of  your  day,  and 
do  your  duty  as  a  civic  part- 
ner. 

Ideals:  Individual  and  social,  quies- 
cent and  active,  subordinate 
and  dominant. 

Ideals  have  power  to  mould 
your  life  and  the  laws  and 
institutions  of  your  country. 
Every  great  movement  in  his- 
tory was  an  ideal  before  it  be- 
came a  fact.  Be  careful  to 
form  true  ideals,  and  help 
others  to  do  likewise,  —  ideals 
in  harmony  with  justice  and 
humanity,  —  and  apply  your 
ideals  as  far  as  you  can  in 
business,  politics,  and  social 
life  as  well  as  in  your  home. 


Happiness, 

DON'T  be 

—  the  pleasures 
of  sense, 

unjust, 

—  "  the  joy  of  do- 
ing/' 
—  the  pleasures  of 
possession, 

unkind, 
thoughtless, 
stupid, 

—  the  pleasures  of 
the  intellect, 
—  the  joys  of  sym- 
pathy and  love, 

pessimistic, 
grumbly, 
cruel, 

—  the   delights   of 
devotion  to 

unsympathetic, 

high  purpose. 

overbearing, 

discourteous, 

Not  self-sacrifice, 

hasty, 

but  sacrifice  of 

intolerant, 

the  lower  self  to 
the  higher  self 
is  the  secret. 

unreasonable, 

untrue, 

silly, 

Power 

conceited, 

Service 
Love 

intemperate, 

Beauty 

double-faced, 

Humor 
Lofty  aim. 

avaricious, 
snobbish, 

History 

bombastic, 

Biography 

dudish, 

Fiction 
Poetry 

dissipated, 

Oratory 
Music  and 
Art 

over-critical, 
unmannerly, 

Work 

mean, 

Play 

despondent, 

Children 
Animals 

dogmatic, 

Men  and 

despotic, 

Women 

rash 

Nature 

Science 

ungenerous, 

Home,  Business 
School,  Gov't 

selfish, 

Church,  Society 

slow, 

Theatre,  Travel. 

disorderly, 

Service 

deceitful, 

in  sympathy, 
love,  and  devo- 

destructive, 

tion. 

disobedient, 

Not  aggressive 

tardy, 

individualism 

inefficient, 

but  ennobled 
cooperative 
individualism. 

cowardly, 
vacillating, 

Brotherhood 

over-confident, 

and  Mutualism, 

over-aggressive, 

not 
conquest  and 

hypocritical, 

mastery. 

self  -deceived. 

104  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 


MEMORY1 

LAWS  AND  METHODS  OF  ITS  USE  AND  CULTIVATION 

Physical  Basis.    Physiological  retentiveness,  gray  matter  of  reasonable  con- 
sistency. 
Quality  improved  by  attention  to  conditions  of  health  and  strength  and  by 

specific  exercise. 
Selection.    Can't  remember  everything. 

Substance ;  vital  facts  and  principles. 

Condensation ;  reduce  substance  to  lowest  terms,  and  label  with 


Analysis. 


key  words. 


Form;  arrange  according  to  relations  of  sequence,  cause,  subor- 
.dination,  etc.;  make  an  analytic  digest,  diagram,  or  picture. 
Association.    The  physiological  law  of  memory. 

1.  Tie  the  new  thought  with  some  other  idea  or  ideas  already  firmly  fixed 

in  the  mind,  or  of  deep  interest  to  you. 

2.  Classify,  link  with  like  facts,  or  with  contrasts;  tie  your  facts  in  bun- 

dles. 
Registration.    1.  In  best  centre. 

2.  Multiple  registration  in  visual,  auditory,  speaking,  and  writing  centres. 

3.  Time  and  method. 

Attention.    Focus  the  mind  on  the  things  to  be  memorized ;  concentrate. 
Emphasis.    Physical  tension  to  deepen  impression. 

Repetition.  To  wear  a  deeper  channel  and  form  a  habit  in  the  gray  cells. 
Reflection.    Let  the  mind  DWELL  on  the  matter,  roll  it  over  and  over,  look  at 

it  on  all  sides,  draw  inferences  from  it,  etc. 

Use,  Expression,  Exercise  at  high  temperature  or  in  emotional  atmosphere. 
Tell  what  you  wish  to  remember  to  some  one  in  whom  you  feel  a  strong 
interest,  or  under  circumstances  stirring  your  emotions.    Use  it  in  your 
business  or  play.    Build  on  it  a  course  of  study  or  conduct,  or  some 
undertaking. 
Have  companionship  in  your  studies  and  memorizing,  etc. 

SPECIAL  HINTS 

1.  Don't  wash  out  ideas  and  diminish  retentiveness  with  a  flood  of  transient 

impressions. 

2.  Don't  exhaust  the  bloom ;  German  language  method. 

3.  Don't  cram. 

4.  Take  advantage  of  the  law  of  unconscious  cerebration, 

Bed  time,  meal  time,  etc, 
6.  Take  advantage  of  the  psychologic  laws  of  interest,  habit,  reflex  action  —  the 

increase  of  power  and  pleasure  with  practice. 
At  a  given  time  each  day  if  possible  run  over  valuable  analyses  in  thought 

till  they  FLASH  through  your  mind  in  volumes. 

6.  Form  or  join  magazine  club  or  culture  club  to  divide  labor  of  selection  and 

analysis  and  secure  the  stimulus  and  emotional  emphasis  of  companion- 
ship. 

7.  Use  key  words  constantly  in  sets. 

8.  Use  memoranda  —  make  paper  memory  save  the  mind  on  non-essentials,  and 

back  up  the  brain  record  with  unchangeable  written  records  of  essen- 
tials. 

«  Copyright,  1904,  by  Frank  Parsoru. 


SUPPLEMENTARY  HELPS  105 


CIVIC  SUGGESTIONS 

No  matter  how  successful  a  man  may  be  in  business,  no  matter 
how  much  money  he  may  make,  nor  how  honest  and  efficient  he 
may  be  industrially,  if  he  is  not  a  good  citizen,  fully  alive  to  all  his 
civic  rights,  privileges,  duties,  and  responsibilities,  he  is  no  more 
than  half  a  man  at  best.  A  man  who  exerts  himself  only  to  get  his 
bread  and  butter,  and  not  at  all  for  the  social  good,  has  not  de- 
veloped much  beyond  the  oyster  stage  of  civilization,  although  in 
outward  appearance  he  may  resemble  a  real  human  being. 

Your  part  in  civic  life  is  quite  as  important  as  your  occupation, 
vital  as  that  undoubtedly  is.  All  round  manhood  is  the  true  aim. 
Making  a  living  is  only  one  arc  of  the  circle.  You  must  be  a  good 
citizen  as  well  as  a  good  worker.  You  do  not  want  to  be  alive  only 
on  one  side  and  dead  on  the  other.  You  are  one  of  the  directors 
and  rulers  of  these  United  States,  or  soon  will  be,  and  you  should 
know  how  public  business  is  transacted,  understand  the  great 
questions  that  are  before  the  people,  and  do  your  share  in  secur- 
ing good  government  and  civic  improvement,  and  promoting  true 
solutions  of  the  vital  problems  of  the  day.  A  few  specific  sug- 
gestions on  these  lines  may  be  of  use  to  you. 

1.  Visit  the  Legislature  now  and  then,  and  the  City  Council 
or  Town  Meeting,  to  observe  the  process  of  manufacturing  laws 
and  ordinances.   Attend  the  hearings  on  important  measures  be- 
fore legislative  committees.  The  legislators  are  your  servants,  and 
you  should  know  how  they  do  their  work,  and  whether  they  are 
doing  it  right  or  not.  Get  the  Municipal  Register  at  City  Hall  and 
the  Manual  of  the  General  Court  at  the  State  House. 

2.  Go  to  the  Superior  Court  and  see  a  jury  trial  in  a  civil  case. 
Then  visit  the  Supreme  Court  and  hear  a  case  argued  before  the 
full  bench.  The  sessions  of  the  Federal  Courts  in  the  Post  Office 
Building  should  also  be  visited.  After  you  have  seen  the  process 
of  enforcing  the  law  by  judicial  procedure,  you  may  be  interested 
to  go  to  the  Law  Library  at  the  State  House  and  read  some  de- 
cisions rendered  in  famous  cases  by  the  Massachusetts  Supreme 
Court  or  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States. 

3.  Attend  important  lectures  and  discussions  of  political  and 
economic  problems,  and  if  possible  join  some  organization  where 
public  questions  are  discussed,  —  the  Economic  Club,  City  Club, 
Twentieth  Century  Club,  Civic  Service  House  Forum,  Y.  M.  C.  A. 


106  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

Congress,  or  any  good  debating  club,  —  and  take  part  in  the 
discussions. 

4.  Read  the  summaries  of  current  events  and  political  opinion 
in  some  of  the  best  magazines,  such  as  The  Review  of  Reviews, 
The  Arena,  The  Outlook,  The  Literary  Digest,  The  Public,  The 
World's  Work,  etc.   Study  the  collections  of  cartoons  in  the  first 
two.  And  read  the  civic  editorials  in  at  least  one  good  newspaper 
representing  each  of  the  great  divisions  of  political  thought  and 
organization. 

5.  Send  letters  to  the  press  expressing  your  views  on  public 
affairs.  Write  also  to  the  Mayor  and  Governor  and  other  city  or 
state  officials,  and  to  your  representatives  in  City  Hall,  at  the 
State  House  and  in  Washington,  so  that  they  may  know  you  are 
watching  them  and  may  have  at  hand  a  record  of  your  views  for 
or  against  important  measures,  and  the  reasons  for  your  attitude. 
The  greater  the  number  of  citizens  who  will  do  such  civic  work 
as  this  in  patriotic  and  enlightened  performance  of  their  duties  as 
national,  state,  and  municipal  directors,  the  more  complete  will 
be  the  record  of  public  sentiment  available  for  the  guidance  of 
legislators  and  officials,  and  the  greater  their  incentive  to  honest 
and  energetic  action  for  the  public  good  in  the  light  of  the  watch- 
ful interest  of  an  enlightened  citizenship. 

6.  Notify  the  Board  of  Health  of  any  stagnant  water,  rubbish 
heaps,  unsanitary  buildings,  contagious  diseases,  impure  foods, 
or  other  unhealthful  conditions  you  observe.    True  patriotism 
begins  at  home,  with  care  for  our  own  neighborhood. 

7.  To  form  a  solid  basis  for  your  own  independent  thinking  and 
usefulness  as  a  citizen,  study  some  of  the  best  books  on  citizen- 
ship, government,  economics,  and  the  principal  public  questions 
of  the  day.   Take  also,  if  you  can,  a  course  in  political  science, 
economics,  and  sociology.    There  are  evening  classes  for  those 
who  cannot  study  in  the  daytime. 

Select  some  good  books  from  the  following  list  in  consultation 
with  the  counselor,  and  begin  a  systematic  course  of  analytic 
reading  on  government,  economics,  history,  and  the  leading  prob- 
lems that  are  before  the  people  for  discussion  and  solution. 

"The  American  Citizen":  Charles  F.  Dole. 
"The  Young  Citizen" :  Charles  F.  Dole. 
"The  Spirit  of  Democracy":  Charles  F.  Dole. 
"Civic  Reader  for  New  Americans" :  Meyer  Bloomfield,  C.  F. 
Dole,  and  others. 


SUPPLEMENTARY  HELPS  107 

"Civil  Government  in  the  United  States":  John  Fiske. 
"Advanced  Civics":  Forman. 
"The  Government":  S.  S.  Clark. 
"Civil  Government":  George  H.  Martin. 
"American  Political  Ideals":  John  Fiske. 
"The  American  Commonwealth":  James  Bryce. 
"Municipal  Government  in  Great  Britain":  Albert  Shaw. 
"Municipal   Government  in  Continental    Europe":    Albert 

Shaw. 

"The  State":  Woodrow  Wilson. 
"Democracy  and  Social  Ethics":  Jane  Addams. 

Lincoln's  Gettysburg  Address. 
Washington's  Farewell  Address. 
The  Messages  of  President  Roosevelt. 

A  powerful  presentation  of  progressive  measures,  trust  and 
labor  legislation,  control  of  corporations,  industrial  arbitration, 
income  and  inheritance  taxes,  postal  savings  banks,  etc. 

"World  Politics":  Paul  S.  Reinsch. 
"World  Organization":  Raymond  Bridgman. 
"Organize  the  World":  Edwin  D.  Mead. 
"Patriotism  and  the  New  Internationalism":  Lucia  Ames 
Mead. 

"General  History":  Myers. 
"Modern  History":  Myers. 

United  States  History:  John  Fiske's  volumes. 
"Short  History  of  the  English  People":  Greene. 
"Europe  in  the  Nineteenth  Century":  Judson. 
"The  Wonderful  Century":  Wallace. 

An  inspiring  account  of  the  great  inventions  and  achievements 
of  the  nineteenth  century. 

"Great  Movements  of  the  Nineteenth  Century":   Parsons. 
"Story  of  New  Zealand":  Parsons. 

How  New  Zealand  established  industrial  arbitration,  old-age 
pensions,  public  coal  mines,  progressive  land-value,  income  and 
inheritance  taxes,  postal  savings  banks,  government  loan  offices, 
public  ownership  of  the  money  system,  government  railroads,  a 
national  employment  bureau,  public  insurance,  etc. 


108  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

"How  England  Averted  a  Revolution":  Flower. 

A  campaign  of  education  by  pamphlet  and  platform  in  the  corn 
law  agitation,  saved  a  resort  to  force. 

"The  Federalist" :  Senator  Lodge's  Edition. 

Washington,  Jefferson,  Hamilton,  Sumner,  and  others  in 

American  Statesmen  Series. 
"Speeches  and  Lectures":  Wendell  Phillips. 
"Short  Life  of  Abraham  Lincoln":  Nicolay. 
"Autobiography  of  Benjamin  Franklin." 
"Theodore  Roosevelt":  Jacob  Riis. 

"Outlines  of  Economics":  R.  T.  Ely. 
"Principles  of  Economics":  E.  R.  A.  Seligman. 
"Political  Economy":  Francis  A.  Walker. 
"Principles  of  Economics":  Alfred  Marshall. 
"Institutes  of  Economics":  Andrews. 
"The  New  Political  Economy":  Parsons. 
"Labor  Copartnership":  Henry  D.  Lloyd. 
"Distribution  of  Wealth":  John  R.  Commons. 
"Economics  of  Distribution":  John  A.  Hobson. 
"Evolution  of  Modern  Capitalism":  John  A.  Hobson. 
"The  Truth  About  the  Trusts":  John  Moody. 
"The  Trust  Problem":  J.  W.  Jenks. 
"Wealth  Against  the  Commonwealth":  Henry  D.  Lloyd. 

The  Story  of  Standard  Oil. 

"History  of  the  Standard  Oil  Trust":  Ida  M.  Tarbell. 

"Chapters  of  Erie":  Charles  Francis  Adams. 

"The  Railways,  the  Trusts,  and  the  People":  Parsons. 

"The  Strategy  of  Great  Railroads":  Spearman. 

"The  Railway  Question":  Stickney. 

"The  Railroad  Question":  Larrabee. 

"National  Consolidation  of  Railways":  Lewis. 

"A  General  Freight  and  Passenger  Post":  Cowles. 

"Municipal  Monopolies":  Bemis,   Commons,  Parsons,  and 

others. 
"The  City  for  the  People":  Parsons. 

Public  Ownership,  Direct  Legislation,  Direct  Nominations,  Pro- 
portional Representation,  Preferential  Voting,  Home  Rule  for 
Cities,  The  Ideal  City  Charter. 


SUPPLEMENTARY  HELPS  109 

Public  Ownership  Report  of  National  Civic  Federation  Com- 
mission, especially  the  summaries  in  volume  i. 

"The  Shame  of  the  Cities":  Lincoln  Steffens. 
"The  City  the  Hope  of  Democracy":  Frederick  C.  Howe. 
"American  Municipal  Progress":  Charles  Zueblin. 
"How  the  Other  Half  Lives"  :  Jacob  Riis. 
"The  Battle  with  the  Slum":  Jacob  Riis. 
"The  Improvement  of  Towns  and  Cities"  :  Charles  M.  Robin- 
son. 

"The  City  Wilderness":  Robert  A.  Woods  and  others. 
"Americans  in  Process":  Robert  A.  Woods  and  others. 

"Up  from  Slavery":  Booker  T.  Washington. 

"Progress  and  Poverty":  Henry  George. 

"Looking  Backward":  Edward  Bellamy. 

"Merrie  England":  Robert  Blatchford. 

"An  Inquiry  into  Socialism":  Thomas  Kirkup. 

"Socialism  and  Social  Reform":  Richard  T.  Ely. 

"  Bi-Socialism  "  :  Oliver  Trowbridge. 

"Social  Unrest":  John  Graham  Brooks. 

"New  Worlds  for  Old  " :  H.  G.  Wells. 

"The  Foundations  of  Sociology":  Edward  A.  Ross. 

"Social  Control":  Edward  A.  Ross. 

"Practical  Sociology":  Carroll  D.  Wright. 

"Dynamic  Sociology":  Lester  F.  Ward. 

To  find  articles  in  leading  magazines  for  any  subject  you  are 
studying,  refer  to  "Poole's  Index"  and  "The  Reader's  Guide"  in 
the  periodical  room  at  the  Public  Library. 

For  reference  purposes  you  should  also  acquaint  yourself 
with  — 

The  World  Almanac. 

The  Statesman's  Year  Book. 

The  Municipal  Year  Book  (English). 

The  Australian  Handbook. 

The  Annals  of  the  American  Academy  of  Political  and  Social 
Science. 

Reports  of  the  National  Municipal  League,  the  League  of 
American  Municipalities,  and  the  National  Civic  Federation. 

Bliss's  "Cyclopedia  of  Social  Reform"  (Edition  of  1908). 


110  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

MulhalPs  "Dictionary  of  Statistics." 
Poor's  "  Railroad  Manual." 
Interstate  Commerce  Commission  Reports. 
Bulletins  of  the  IT.  S.  Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor. 
The  Congressional  Record. 

Proceedings  of  the  House  and  Senate  and  Reports  of  Com- 
mittees. 

"Who's  Who  in  America." 

The  Century  Dictionary. 

The  Universal  Cyclopedia,  and 

The  American  and  English  Encyclopedia  of  Law. 


XV 

SAMPLE  CASES 

EXPERIENCE  is  the  great  teacher.  I  shall  be  glad  if  my 
experience  in  this  line  of  work  can  become  valuable  to 
others.  I  keep  a  record  of  each  case.  If  it  is  not  worth 
putting  down  on  paper,  it  is  not  worth  doing  at  all.  Not 
until  I  have  written  out  a  summary  of  the  case  can  I  feel 
that  I  have  done  it  anything  like  adequate  justice.  The 
following  selected  cases  illustrate  the  wide  variety  of 
method  and  treatment:  — 

Case  3 

A   CARTOONIST   IN  THE   BUD 

A  working  boy  of  eighteen,  graduate  of  a  Boston  high 
school,  said  he  wanted  to  be  a  cartoonist.  He  was  strong, 
healthy,  energetic,  and  enthusiastic.  He  had  a  fine,  expres- 
sive face,  clear,  keen  eye,  and  pleasing  manners.  He  stood 
the  memory  test  excellently  well,  showed  some  imagination 
and  inventiveness,  and  a  good  deal  of  skill  with  his  pencil. 
He  had  done  some  good  reading  on  his  own  account,  solid 
books  of  history  and  science. 

The  counselor  saw  no  reason  why  he  should  not  be  aided 
and  encouraged  in  the  pursuit  of  his  ambition  to  become  a 
cartoonist.  The  suggestions  of  the  counselor,  therefore, 
related  chiefly  to  method. 

Suggestions. 

1.  Get  large  scrapbooks,  or  make  them  for  yourself  out 
of  manilla  paper. 

2.  Get  your  friends  to  give  you  copies  of  The  Review  of 


112  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

Reviews  and  other  magazines  and  newspapers  that  publish 
the  best  cartoons.  Cut  them  out.  Classify  them  according 
to  the  principles  involved,  just  as  naturalists  classify  ani- 
mals and  plants.  Paste  them  in  your  scrapbooks,  putting 
those  of  each  class  together.  Mark  each  one  with  a  word 
or  phrase  which  will  be  to  you  the  name  of  that  cartoon. 
Make  a  list  of  these  words  and  phrases  that  you  can  carry 
in  your  pocket. 

Turn  over  the  leaves  of  your  scrapbook  every  day,  and 
two  or  three  times  a  day  if  you  can.  Study  the  best  car- 
toons carefully,  and  after  each  study  shut  your  eyes  or 
look  at  the  ceiling  and  see  if  you  can  recall  the  picture. 
Sketch  the  cartoons  from  memory,  taking  one  at  a  time, 
drawing  it  over  and  over  again,  comparing  your  sketch 
each  time  with  the  original,  and  correcting  your  work 
until  you  can  make  a  good  sketch  of  each  of  the  best  car- 
toons from  memory. 

When  you  are  in  the  cars  or  anywhere  else,  with  a  few 
moments'  leisure,  take  out  your  list  of  words  and  phrases 
representing  your  cartoon  specimens  and  try  to  flash  be- 
fore your  mind  rapidly  the  pictures  corresponding  to  the 
words  and  phrases  on  your  list. 

In  other  words,  master  your  collection  of  good  cartoons ; 
put  them  in  your  brain  and  at  your  fingers'  ends.  They 
constitute  for  you  the  a  b  c  of  your  profession,  and  you 
must  make  them  a  part  of  yourself,  master  them  as 
thoroughly  as  you  did  the  multiplication  table  when  you 
studied  arithmetic. 

3.  Look  at  the  headlines  of  the  leading  papers  every  day, 
and  every  two  or  three  days,  or  once  a  week  at  least,  select 
some  subject  that  interests  you  strongly,  and  try  to  repre- 
sent your  thought  of  it  in  cartoon  form,  using  pictures  of 
men  and  animals,  etc.,  to  express  your  meaning,  as  the 
cartoonists  do. 

If  your  thought  does  not  readily  flow  into  picture  form, 
turn  the  pages  of  your  cartoon  books,  looking  at  each  pic- 


SAMPLE  CASES  113 

ture  with  the  thought  you  wish  to  express  clearly  in  your 
mind,  and  see  if  you  do  not  get  a  suggestion  from  some  of 
the  cartoons  in  your  books. 

Draw  your  cartoon  and  compare  it  with  those  in  your 
books,  especially  those  of  the  same  class,  principle,  or 
method  of  work.  Then  see  if  you  can  improve  your  draw- 
ing; and  when  you  get  it  so  that  you  are  satisfied  with  it  or 
believe  it  to  be  the  best  you  can  make  it  at  that  time,  take 
it  to  some  artist  friend  and  get  him  to  criticise  it.  Correct 
it  in  the  light  of  his  suggestions  if  you  think  they  are  well 
founded,  and  then  send  it  to  some  newspaper  or  magazine 
that  prints  cartoons  and  see  if  they  will  publish  it.  If  not, 
send  it  to  another,  and  another,  keeping  on  until  you  get 
it  published,  or  are  pretty  sure  you  cannot  place  it. 

Do  this  every  week,  or  as  often  as  you  conveniently  can, 
and  after  a  while,  with  careful  and  persistent  and  well- 
directed  effort,  you  will  be  practically  sure  to  succeed. 

The  counselor  will  be  glad  to  see  your  drawings  from 
time  to  time  and  make  such  further  suggestions  as  may 
seem  best,  and  also  help  you  get  acquainted  with  some 
artist  competent  to  criticise  your  work. 

4.  While  you  are  studying  and  working  on  the  direct 
lines  of  your  intended  vocation,  do  not  neglect  the  ad- 
vantages to  be  secured  by  continued  reading  of  the  best 
books,  especially  those  on  history,  economics,  and  natural 
science,  with  Emerson's  "  Essays  "  and  some  good  poetry. 
Such  reading  will  not  only  help  you  to  develop  into  a  first- 
class  man  all  round,  a  good  citizen  and  respected  member 
of  society,  —  which  is  quite  as  important  as  being  a  good 
cartoonist,  —  but  it  will  also  help  you  in  your  profession 
by  filling  your  mind  with  vivid  images  of  many  kinds,  and 
giving  you  the  power  to  appreciate  the  significance  and 
relationships  of  public  questions  and  current  events.  A 
man  cannot  be  a  first-class  workman  at  any  trade  or  pro- 
fession unless  he  knows  a  good  deal  more  than  the  special 
matters  involved  in  his  business.  He  must  master  the 


114  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

technic  of  his  profession,  and  he  must  also  know  a  good 
deal  about  the  world  in  general,  and  human  nature  in  par- 
ticular, in  order  that  he  may  understand  the  relations 
between  his  special  work  and  the  varied  interests  of  his 
fellow  men. 

Case  6 

A   WOULD-BE   DOCTOR 

A  boy  of  nineteen  said  he  wanted  to  be  a  doctor.  He 
was  sickly  looking,  small,  thin,  hollow-cheeked,  with  list- 
less eye  and  expressionless  face.  He  did  not  smile  once 
during  the  interview  of  more  than  an  hour.  He  shook  hands 
like  a  wet  stick.  His  voice  was  husky  and  unpleasant,  and 
his  conversational  power,  aside  from  answering  direct 
questions,  seemed  practically  limited  to  "ss-uh,"  an  as- 
pirate "yes,  sir,"  consisting  of  a  prolonged  s  followed  by  a 
non-vocal  uh,  made  by  suddenly  dropping  the  lower  jaw 
and  exploding  the  breath  without  bringing  the  vocal  cords 
into  action.  He  used  this  aspirate  "yes-sir"  constantly, 
to  indicate  assent,  or  that  he  heard  what  the  counselor  said. 
He  had  been  through  the  grammar  school  and  the  evening 
high;  was  not  good  in  any  of  his  studies,  nor  especially 
interested  in  any.  His  memory  was  poor.  He  fell  down  on 
all  the  tests  for  mental  power.  He  had  read  practically 
nothing  outside  of  school  except  the  newspapers.  He  had 
no  resources  and  very  few  friends.  He  was  not  tidy  in  his 
appearance,  nor  in  any  way  attractive.  He  knew  nothing 
about  a  doctor's  life ;  not  even  that  he  might  have  to  get  up 
any  time  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  or  that  he  had  to  re- 
member books  full  of  symptoms  and  remedies. 

The  boy  had  no  enthusiasms,  interests,  or  ambitions 
except  the  one  consuming  ambition  to  be  something  that 
people  would  respect,  and  he  thought  he  could  accom- 
plish that  purpose  by  becoming  a  physician  more  easily 
than  in  any  other  way. 


SAMPLE  CASES  115 

When  the  study  was  complete,  and  the  young  man's 
record  was  before  him,  the  counselor  said :  — 

"  Now  we  must  be  very  frank  with  each  other.  That  is 
the  only  way  such  talks  can  be  of  any  value.  You  want  me 
to  tell  you  the  truth  just  as  I  see  it,  don't  you  ?  That 's 
why  you  came  to  me,  is  n't  it,  —  not  for  flattery,  but  for  a 
frank  talk  to  help  you  understand  yourself  and  your  pos- 
sibilities ?  " 

"Ss-uh." 

"  Don't  you  think  a  doctor  should  be  well  and  strong  ? 
Does  n't  he  need  vigorous  health  to  stand  irregular  hours, 
night  calls,  exposure  to  contagious  diseases,  etc.?" 

"Ss-uh." 

"And  you  are  not  strong." 

"Ss-uh."  (This  was  repeated  after  almost  every  sen- 
tence of  the  counselor's  remarks,  but  will  be  omitted  here 
for  the  sake  of  condensation.) 

"  And  you  have  n't  the  pleasant  manners  a  doctor  ought 
to  have.  You  have  not  smiled  nor  shown  any  expressive- 
ness in  your  face  the  whole  time  you  have  been  answering 
my  questions  and  telling  me  about  your  life  and  record. 
Your  hand  was  moist  and  unpleasant  when  you  shook 
hands.  And  you  put  your  fingers  in  my  hand  without  any 
pressure,  or  show  of  interest.  I  might  as  well  have  shaken 
hands  with  a  stick." 

(The  counselor's  criticisms  were  very  frank  and  forceful, 
but  he  smiled  at  the  boy  as  he  spoke,  and  his  tones  were 
quite  gentle  and  sympathetic,  so  that  the  young  man  was 
not  offended  or  repelled,  but  seemed  attracted  and  pleased, 
on  the  whole,  by  the  frank  and  kindly  interest  of  the 
counselor  in  his  welfare.) 

"  You  might  cultivate  a  cordial  smile,  a  friendly  hand- 
shake, and  winning  manners,  and  you  ought  to  develop 
good  manners  no  matter  what  business  you  follow,  but  it 
will  take  much  time  and  effort,  for  manners  do  not  come 
natural  to  you. 


116  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

"  You  should  cultivate  your  voice,  and  use  smooth,  clear 
tones,  with  life  in  them.  Your  voice  is  listless,  husky,  and 
unpleasant  now. 

"  And  read  good  solid  books,  —  history,  economics, 
government,  etc., — and  talk  about  them.  Develop  your 
conversational  power.  At  present  you  do  not  even  seem 
able  to  say,  'yes,  sir,'  distinctly. 

"  You  want  to  win  respect,  to  be  something  your  fellow 
men  will  admire.  But  it  is  not  necessary  to  be  a  doctor  in 
order  to  be  respectable. 

"Any  man  who  lives  a  useful  life,  does  his  work  well, 
takes  care  of  his  family,  is  a  good  citizen,  and  lives  a  clean, 
true,  kindly,  helpful  life,  will  be  respected  and  loved, 
whether  he  is  a  farmer,  carpenter,  lawyer,  doctor,  black- 
smith, teamster,  clerk,  or  factory  worker. 

"  People  will  respect  a  carpenter  who  knows  his  business 
and  does  his  work  well  a  good  deal  more  than  they  will  a 
doctor  who  does  n't  know  his  business.  It  is  a  question  of 
fitness,  knowledge,  skill,  and  usefulness.  A  bad  doctor  is 
one  of  the  least  respectable  of  men.  Think  of  the  blunders 
he  is  likely  to  make,  the  people  he  is  likely  to  kill  or  injure 
through  wrong  medicines  or  lack  of  skill  in  diagnosis  or 
treatment." 

The  counselor  then  painted  two  word  pictures  sub- 
stantially as  follows :  — 

"Suppose  two  men  are  trying  to  build  up  a  medical 
practice.  One  is  tall,  fine  looking,  strong,  and  healthy,  with 
a  winning  smile,  a  cordial  way  of  shaking  hands,  pleasant 
voice,  and  engaging  manners.  He  is  bright,  cheery,  whole- 
some. People  like  to  have  him  visit  them.  His  presence  in 
the  sickroom  is  a  tonic  worth  as  much  as  the  medicine  he 
gives.  He  has  a  good  education,  has  read  a  lot  of  good 
books,  keeps  posted  in  the  leading  magazines,  and  under- 
stands the  public  questions  of  the  day,  so  he  can  talk  to 
all  sorts  of  people  about  the  things  that  interest  them.  He 
has  a  good  memory,  so  he  can  carry  in  his  mind  the  volumes 


SAMPLE  CASES  117 

of  symptoms  and  medical  data  a  doctor  ought  to  know, 
and  can  tell  a  case  of  smallpox,  scarlet  fever,  diphtheria, 
etc.,  etc.,  without  running  back  to  his  office  to  study  the 
books.  He  has  friends  to  help  him  get  patients,  and  money 
enough  to  live  in  good  style  three  or  four  years  while  he  is 
building  up  a  practice. 

"The  other  man  is  small,  thin,  hollow  cheeked,  sickly 
looking,  with  poor  memory,  little  education,  practically  no 
reading,  no  resources,  undeveloped  manners,  husky,  un- 
pleasant voice,  no  conversational  ability,  —  nothing  to 
attract  people  or  inspire  their  confidence,  and  with  mental 
handicaps  that  would  make  it  very  difficult  for  him  to 
master  the  profession.  No  memory  to  hold  the  books  full 
of  symptoms  and  remedies, — a  patient  might  die  while  he 
was  going  back  to  the  office  to  study  up  what  was  the 
matter. 

"  Which  of  these  two  men  would  have  the  best  chance  of 
success  ?  " 

"The  first  one." 

"  And  which  most  closely  resembles  your  own  case  ?  " 

"The  second." 

"Do  you  really  think,  then,  that  you  would  have  a  good 
chance  to  make  a  success  of  the  medical  profession  ?  " 

"I  don't  know  that  I  would.  I  never  thought  of  it  this 
way  before,  I  just  knew  it  was  a  good  business,  highly  re- 
spected, and  that's  what  I  wanted." 

"But  there  may  be  other  highly  respectable  lines  of 
work  in  which  you  would  not  be  at  so  great  a  disadvantage. 

"  Suppose  a  lot  of  races  were  to  be  run.  In  some  of  them 
you  would  have  to  run  with  a  heavy  iron  ball  tied  round 
your  leg,  while  others  ran  free.  In  other  races  you  could 
run  free  as  well  as  the  rest  of  them,  and  have  something 
like  a  fair  chance.  Which  sort  of  race  would  you  enter  ?  " 

"I'd  rather  run  free,  of  course." 

"Well,  your  hands  appear  to  be  just  as  good  as  any- 
body's. You  can  exercise  care  and  industry.  You  can  re- 


118  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

member  a  few  things,  and  can  be  successful  if  you  don't 
attempt  too  much.  If  you  go  out  into  some  sort  of  work 
where  you  won't  have  to  meet  so  many  people  as  a  doctor 
must,  nor  remember  such  a  vast  mass  of  facts,  —  something 
where  the  memory  and  the  personal  element  will  not  be 
such  important  factors,  so  that  your  handicap  in  these 
respects  will  not  cripple  you,  —  you  may  run  the  race  on 
fairly  equal  terms  and  have  a  good  chance  of  success.  Some 
mechanical  or  manufacturing  industry,  wholesale  trade 
where  you  would  handle  stock,  care  of  poultry,  sheep, 
cows,  or  other  out-door  work,  would  offer  you  good  op- 
portunities and  be  better  for  your  health  than  the  com- 
paratively sedentary  and  irregular  life  of  a  physician. 

"  I  suggest  that  you  visit  stock  and  dairy  farms,  carpenter 
shops,  shoe  factories,  wholesale  stores,  etc.,  see  a  good 
many  industries  in  the  lines  I  have  spoken  of,  read  about 
them,  talk  with  the  workmen  and  managers,  try  your  hand 
if  you  can  at  various  sorts  of  work,  and  make  up  your 
mind  if  there  is  not  some  business  that  will  interest  you 
and  offer  you  a  fairly  equal  opportunity  free  from  the 
special  handicaps  you  would  have  to  overcome  in  pro- 
fessional life." 

The  counselor  also  made  specific  suggestions  about  the 
cultivation  of  memory  and  manners,  and  a  systematic 
course  of  reading  and  study  to  prepare  for  citizenship,  and 
to  develop  economic  power  and  social  understanding  and 
usefulness,  that  would  entitle  the  young  man  to  the  esteem 
of  his  fellow  citizens. 

As  the  youth  rose  to  go  he  wiped  his  hand  so  it  would  be 
dry  as  he  shook  hands  with  some  warmth  and  thanked 
the  counselor  for  his  suggestions,  which  he  said  he  would 
try  to  follow.  He  smiled  for  the  first  time  as  he  said  this, 
and  the  counselor,  noting  it,  said :  — 

"  There !  You  can  smile.  You  can  light  up  your  face  if 
you  choose.  Now  learn  to  do  it  often.  Practice  speaking 
before  the  glass,  till  you  get  your  face  so  it  will  move  and 


SAMPLE  CASES  119 

not  stay  in  one  position  all  the  evening  like  a  plaster  mask. 
And  try  to  stop  saying  '  Ss-uh.'  When  you  want  to  say 
'  Yes,  sir,'  say  it  distinctly  in  a  clear,  manly  tone,  and  not 
under  your  breath  like  a  steam  valve  on  an  engine.  A  good 
many  times  when  you  say  '  Ss-uh '  it  is  n't  necessary  to 
say  anything,  and  the  rest  of  the  time  you  should  say 
'  Yes,  sir,'  or  make  some  definite  comment  in  a  clear  voice 
full  of  life  and  interest.  Watch  other  people,  and  imitate 
those  you  admire,  and  avoid  the  things  that  repel  or  dis- 
please you  in  people  you  do  not  like." 

"  Ss-uh  —  yes,  sir,"  said  the  boy,  with  another  faint 
smile,  "  I  '11  try."  And  he  was  gone. 

He  told  another  young  man  a  few  days  later  that  "the 
Professor  "  said  he  would  go  through  him  with  a  lantern, 
and  he  had  certainly  done  it,  and  he  was  glad  of  it,  for  he 
learned  more  about  himself  that  evening  than  in  all  his  life 
before ;  and  though  part  of  it  was  like  taking  medicine  at 
the  time,  it  was  all  right,  and  he  knew  it  would  help  him  a 
great  deal. 

Case  12 

FROM   BOOTBLACKING  TO   SIGN   PAINTING 

Boy  of  nineteen;  small,  thin,  weak;  grammar-school 
education;  very  little  reading;  memory  poor.  His  father 
drives  an  express  wagon.  Went  to  work  at  fourteen.  Suc- 
cessively, office  boy  at  $3  a  week,  florist's  helper  at  $4.50 
a  week,  and  driver  of  delivery  wagon  for  provision  store  at 
$5  and  $6  a  week.  Got  sick  and  lost  his  job.  Went  to  work 
blacking  boots  at  a  stand  in  a  billiard  hall.  Loves  music 
and  drawing.  Spends  spare  time  with  pencil  and  cornet. 
Saved  $63  to  buy  a  silver  cornet  and  $38  for  lessons,  while 
he  was  making  $4.50  and  $5  a  week.  Gave  his  mother 
half  and  saved  the  rest  for  cornet  and  lessons.  Thought 
of  studying  to  take  civil  service  examinations  for  clerkship 
in  post  office. 

Counselor  asked  him  to  bring  some  of  his  sketches.  He 


120  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

did  so.  They  showed  considerable  ability  in  outline  work 
and  lettering.  Best  points  evidently  in  drawing  and  music. 

Suggestions. 

"  If  all  the  boys  in  Boston  were  to  be  divided  into  classes 
according  to  their  special  aptitudes  and  abilities,  in  what 
class  would  you  belong  ?  Is  there  anything  you  can  do  that 
most  of  the  boys  could  not  do  so  well  ?  " 

"  Most  of  them  cannot  play  the  cornet,  or  draw  as  well  as 
I  can,  I  think." 

"  How  would  you  like  to  use  your  ability  for  drawing  and 
lettering  by  getting  to  be  a  sign  painter  ?  " 

"I  would  like  it  very  much." 

"  Well,  practice  a  little  every  day  or  several  times  a  day 
if  possible.  Watch  the  signs  on  the  streets  and  copy  the 
best  ones.  Study  the  advertisements  in  good  magazines. 
Copy  the  lettering.  Reproduce  it  from  memory  over  and 
over  again  till  you  have  mastered  several  good  alphabets, 
plain  and  ornamental,  and  can  use  them  at  will  in  making 
signs  and  designs  of  your  own.  Borrow  an  engraver's 
book  to  get  all  the  letters  of  each  style  in  a  complete  group. 
When  you  have  mastered  a  few  kinds  of  letters  so  you  can 
do  plain  and  fancy  lettering  easily  and  rapidly,  try  to  get  a 
place  in  one  of  these  sign-making  shops  and  work  up.  If 
you  do  well  and  save  your  money  as  you  did  for  the  cornet, 
you  may  be  able  in  a  few  years  to  start  a  shop  of  your  own. 
Don't  drop  your  music ;  you  may  get  into  a  band  some  day, 
though  it  is  doubtful  if  you  are  strong  enough  to  rely  on 
that  as  a  business." 

Some  weeks  later  the  counselor  met  the  young  man  in  the 
subway.  He  had  followed  the  suggestions  made  to  him, 
had  developed  considerable  skill  and  facility  in  lettering, 
got  a  place  in  an  excellent  shop,  and  was  making  signs  to 
his  heart's  content.  Had  one  of  them  with  him  on  the  way 
to  delivery,  a  very  creditable  piece  of  work,  and  he  was 
brimming  over  with  enthusiasm  and  happiness, — did  not 


SAMPLE  CASES  121 

seem  like  the  same  boy  who  had  come  a  few  weeks  before 
to  see  how  he  could  get  a  start. 

Case  13 

A   GIFT   FOR   LANGUAGES 

Young  man  of  twenty ;  fine  appearance ;  strong,  athletic 
figure;  handsome,  expressive  face;  clear  skin  and  eye; 
smiling,  neat,  manly,  well-mannered,  attractive  in  every 
way.  Clean,  intelligent,  careful,  social,  free  from  bad  habits 
except  smoking  before  and  after  meals.  Good-tempered, 
never  had  a  fight  or  serious  quarrel.  Always  been  a  leader 
among  the  boys ;  organized  a  number  of  clubs,  and  done 
a  good  deal  of  public  speaking.  Born  in  Russia.  Went  to 
Paris  the  next  year.  There  eleven  years,  then  came  to 
Boston.  Went  to  school  in  Paris,  and  two  terms  in  Boston 
at  the  Phillips  School.  Best  studies  were  arithmetic  and 
languages,  took  several  prizes.  Poorest  records  in  drawing 
and  grammar.  Has  picked  up  a  working  knowledge  of 
five  languages.  His  father,  a  small  merchant  tailor,  has  a 
working  knowledge  of  ten  languages.  The  boy  has  read 
Victor  Hugo's  "Les  Miserables "  both  in  French  and 
English;  also  fond  of  Shakespeare.  Reads  the  editorials  in 
the  Herald  and  the  American,  also  the  general  political 
news,  but  cares  nothing  for  murder  trials,  divorce  cases, 
or  sporting  news.  Went  to  work  at  fourteen  as  a  store  boy 
at  $2  a  week.  Worked  five  years  in  different  dry  goods  and 
department  stores  as  errand  boy,  stock  boy,  and  salesman, 
getting  $3.50,  $4,  $6,  and  $7  a  week.  Then  got  a  place  as  a 
traveling  salesman  for  a  tobacco  house,  and  made  $13  or 
$14  a  week.  The  firm  transferred  their  business  to  a  dis- 
tant Western  city.  The  boy  wanted  to  stay  with  his  people, 
so  he  did  not  go  with  the  house.  Said  he  had  about  con- 
cluded to  take  a  civil  service  course  and  try  to  get  into  the 
post  office  as  a  clerk  or  a  carrier,  though  he  would  rather 
be  a  traveling  salesman  if  he  could. 


122  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

When  the  record,  containing  all  this  and  a  great  deal 
more,  was  finished,  the  counselor  said :  — 

"  What  are  your  distinguishing  characteristics,  the  traits 
by  which  a  naturalist  might  classify  you  ?  " 

The  boy  hesitated. 

"  If  all  the  young  men  in  Boston  were  gathered  here,  in 
what  respects,  if  any,  would  you  excel  most  of  them  ?  In 
what  respects  would  you  be  on  a  level  with  the  rest,  and  in 
what  respects,  if  any,  would  you  be  inferior  ?  " 

"  I  think  most  of  the  boys  would  not  know  so  many  lan- 
guages, nor  have  done  as  much  organizing  or  public 
speaking." 

"Language,  leadership,  organizing  ability,  seem  to  be 
your  distinguishing  characteristics,  the  traits  that  would 
put  you  in  a  group  with  a  small  division  of  Boston's 
boys." 

"Yes,  I  think  that  is  so." 

"  Does  a  man  win  fame,  position,  money,  success  by  the 
exercise  of  those  faculties  in  respect  to  which  he  is  specially 
strong,  or  by  the  exercise  of  faculties  in  respect  to  which 
he  has  only  average  ability  or  is  inferior  ?  " 

"A  man  wins  by  his  strong  points,  of  course,  not  by  his 
weak  ones." 

"Will  your  gifts  for  language,  leadership,  and  organi- 
zation come  in  play  as  a  postal  clerk,  or  will  the  boy  without 
such  abilities  have  about  as  good  a  chance  in  sorting  letters 
or  carrying  the  mail  ?  " 

"  I  might  do  something  in  the  post  office,  perhaps,  but 
it  is  plain  enough  that  there  are  better  fields  for  the  sort  of 
thing  I  can  best  do." 

The  counselor  and  the  youth  went  over  the  list  of  in- 
dustries together,  and  decided  that  teaching  languages, 
translating,  interpreting,  political  or  social  work  among  the 
immigrant  populations  of  a  large  city,  or  work  in  a  big 
mercantile  house  having  correspondence  and  dealings  with 
people  of  many  nationalities,  would  offer  the  best  oppor- 


SAMPLE  CASES  123 

tunities  for  the  full  development  and  advantageous  use 
of  the  young  man's  special  abilities. 

The  first  two  lines  of  effort  did  not  attract  him,  but  any 
of  the  others  he  would  like,  especially  civic  or  social  work 
that  would  lead  to  public  speaking  and  organizing,  or  a 
mercantile  connection  that  would  send  him  among  differ- 
ent nationalities  as  a  salesman  or  agent. 

Methods  were  discussed  and  plans  developed  for  more 
thorough  preparation  and  for  finding  a  good  opening  on 
the  right  line.  One  suggestion  was  that  the  youth  should 
take  one  language  after  another  and  perfect  his  knowledge 
of  it,  master  it;  not  merely  read  a  little  here  and  there  in 
periodicals,  as  he  had  been  doing,  but  make  a  systematic 
study  of  the  grammar,  read  some  of  the  best  books  in  that 
language,  and  learn  to  write  and  speak  it  fluently.  The 
counselor  also  suggested  that  smoking  should  be  given  up 
as  a  useless,  expensive,  and  injurious  habit.  This  sugges- 
tion did  not  meet  with  favor.  But  the  young  man  expressed 
his  gratitude  for  the  light  and  inspiration  that  had  come 
to  him  during  the  interview.  He  saw  the  path  to  his  best 
usefulness  and  success  clear  before  him.  And  he  went  away 
full  of  enthusiastic  determination  to  take  up  Italian  first, 
and  afterward  French,  Spanish,  etc.,  and  turn  his  working 
knowledge  into  a  mastery,  in  preparation  for  the  opportu- 
nity that  will  surely  come  to  put  his  best  powers  into  prac- 
tical use. 

Case  14 

A   LAWYER  IN  THE   MAKING 

A  bright  boy  of  seventeen;  German  descent;  ancestry 
distinguished  and  very  well-off  on  both  sides,  but  paternal 
grandfather  lost  his  money  (property  confiscated  by  Rus- 
sian government)  and  father  has  not  recovered  it.  Twice 
set  up  in  business  by  his  father-in-law,  but  did  not  succeed 
in  winning  wealth. 

The  boy  is  one  of  the  best,  —  high  type  in  character  and 


124  CHOOSING  A   VOCATION 

ability,  fine  looking,  pleasant  manners,  good  speaker,  loves 
argument,  greatly  interested  in  public  questions.  Grammar 
school,  two  years  of  evening  high,  and  three  years  of 
Breadwinners'  Institute.  Excellent  records  in  all  studies 
but  drawing.  President  of  class  in  grammar  school.  Read 
Scott,  Dickens,  Shakespeare,  Cooper,  Dumas.  Very  fond 
of  books,  dogs,  horses,  children,  music,  theatre,  public 
meetings,  discussions,  etc.  Memory  good,  analytic  power 
excellent.  Clear,  forceful  thinker,  and  tenacious  debater. 
Careful,  reliable,  industrious,  persistent,  enthusiastic,  open- 
minded,  sympathetic,  good-tempered,  sociable.  Free  from 
bad  habits,  except  a  slight  tendency  to  let  his  shoulders  sag 
forward  as  he  stands,  and  to  converse  at  times  without 
putting  due  life  and  emphasis  into  his  voice.  Walks  ten 
miles  or  more  at  a  stretch,  but  takes  no  other  exercise. 
Salesman  in  dry-goods  store,  but  does  n't  like  trade. 
Wants  to  be  a  lawyer,  and  is  willing  to  work  hard  to  ac- 
complish his  purpose. 

The  counselor  saw  no  occasion  to  discourage  this  ambi- 
tion, but  made  some  suggestions  as  to  method. 

1.  Get  Bigelow  on  Torts  and  analyze  it.    Reduce  the 
substance  of  the  first  chapter  to  a  single  page  of  writing 
and  bring  it  to  me  for  criticism. 

2.  In  the  fall  take  the  evening  course  at  the  Y.M.C.  A. 

3.  Throw  your  shoulders  back.   Stand  up  straight. 

4.  Take  more  varied  exercise.  Bring  the  muscles  of  the 
body,  arms,  and  neck  into  vigorous  play  with  the  punching 
bag  or  rowing  or  general  gymnasium  work.  Breathe  deeply 
in  the  open  air.  It  is  very  important  for  one  who  is  to  work 
with  his  head  to  send  strong  currents  of  rich  blood  along 
the  spine  and  through  the  head  and  into  every  part  of  the 
body. 

5.  Watch  your  voice.  Put  vitality  and  music  into  it  even 
in  ordinary  conversation.   Study  the  tunes  of  speech  and 
use  them. 

The  young  man   is   reporting   regularly,   bringing  in 


SAMPLE  CASES  125 

analyses  of  his  legal  reading,  and  most  of  them  are  very 
good  indeed  for  a  beginner.  He  enjoys  the  study  greatly, 
and  gets  a  good  grip  on  the  fundamentals. 

Case  18 

THE   SECRET   OF   EFFECTIVE   PREACHING 

A  fine-looking,  healthy  young  man  of  twenty;  bright, 
expressive  face,  engaging  smile,  pleasant  manners,  natural, 
cordial,  and  attractive;  well-shaped  head;  memory  rather 
poor;  language  fair;  good  habits;  social,  sympathetic,  and 
inclined  to  look  at  life  from  the  ethical  standpoint.  No 
specially  weak  points,  or  strong  ones,  either,  except  his 
pleasing  appearance  and  address  and  his  sympathetic  dis- 
position. Moderate  education,  grammar  school  in  West 
Indies,  leaving  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  Went  to  business 
college  in  Bellevue,  Ontario,  six  months.  No  reading  to 
speak  of.  Worked  on  farm  two  months ;  rest  of  time  book- 
keeping, receiving  $11  a  week.  No  manual  or  business 
skill  or  experience,  nor  any  decided  mental  aptitudes,  but 
decided  aversion  to  mechanical,  agricultural,  or  com- 
mercial lines.  Had  decided  to  go  to  college  and  prepare  for 
Episcopal  ministry.  The  college  was  determined  upon, 
and  the  ultimate  location,  —  his  former  home  in  the  West 
Indies. 

Excellent  character,  consecration  to  ethical  ideals,  at- 
tractive personality,  a  social  and  sympathetic  tempera- 
ment, and  a  spirit  of  genuine  helpfulness  are  among  the 
chief  qualifications  for  a  good  pastor,  and  these  were  either 
possessed  by  the  young  man,  or  could  be  cultivated  by  him 
with  good  probability  of  success.  Vocation  fully  deter- 
mined upon,  and  choice  apparently  fairly  well  considered. 

Suggestions,  therefore,  related  mainly  to  methods  of 
attaining  the  fullest  fitness  for  the  ministry,  securing  the 
best  results  as  a  pastor,  and  developing  efficiency  in  the 
pulpit.  Some  of  the  suggestions  were  as  follows :  — 


126  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

1.  Cultivate  memory.    Was  supplied  with  analysis  of 
method  of  developing  and  using  memory,  with  explana- 
tions and  illustrations. 

2.  Study  lives  and  work  of  great  ministers,  like  Phillips 
Brooks,  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  and  others,  and  try  to  dis- 
cover the  secrets  of  their  success,  —  the  essential  respects 
in  which  they  differed  from  the  ordinary  humdrum  clergy- 
man. 

3.  High  character,  broad  sympathy,  helpfulness,  gen- 
uine service,  love  of  humanity,  devotion  to  high  ideals, 
characterize  the  true  preacher. 

4.  Knowledge  of  human  nature,  history,  government, 
economics,  public  questions,  is  even  more  essential  than 
knowledge  of  theology. 

5.  Learn  to  preach  not  only  on  Biblical  matter,  but  on 
the  problems  that  face  men  in  daily  life,  and  draw  your 
illustrations  of  spiritual  truth  from  concrete  pictures  of 
life.  The  sermons  of  the  best  and  most  effective  preachers 
always  deal  with  life.  They  apply  the  principles  of  Chris- 
tianity to  daily  affairs  of  business,  politics,  society,  home, 
and  individual  life.    No  dry  doctrinal  sermons,  but  ser- 
mons brimful  of  light,  sympathy,  inspiration,  and  intelli- 
gent helpfulness  in  relation  to  the  things  that  fill  up  the 
lives  of  the  people;  the  right  and  wrong  of  industry  and 
civic  life  in  city,  state,  and  nation,  as  well  as  the  ethics  of 
the  home  and  private  conduct. 

All  these  things  were  preeminently  true  of  Beecher  and 
Brooks  and  other  eminent  clergymen  of  the  past.  Henry 
Ward  Beecher  used  to  say,  "  Christianity  is  not  a  doctrine 
but  a  life." 

After  listening  to  Phillips  Brooks  two  or  three  times  a 
week  for  six  or  eight  months,  I  said  to  him,  "Dr.  Brooks, 
I  've  been  trying  to  find  out  what  it  is  that  makes  your  ser- 
mons so  attractive,  and  I've  concluded  that,  aside  from 
your  captivating  earnestness  and  literary  power,  the  charm 
lies  in  the  fact  that  you  always  make  your  thought  touch 


SAMPLE  CASES  127 

daily  life.  You  illumine  common,  every-day  affairs  with  the 
light  of  Christian  principle.  You  constantly  apply  ethical 
ideas  and  inspirations  to  life  in  all  its  phases,  so  that 
religion  invades  the  week,  stays  with  the  people  seven  days 
instead  of  one,  and  goes  with  them  into  market,  factory, 
street,  court  room  and  legislative  hall ;  religion  becomes  a 
part  of  life  instead  of  a  thing  more  or  less  apart  from  life, 
a  thing  to  put  on  once  a  week  like  your  Sunday  hat.  That 
seems  to  me  the  secret,  —  your  sermons  deal  with  concrete 
daily  life  from  the  religious  standpoint." 

"Well,"  said  the  great  divine,  "what  is  preaching  for 
but  that?" 

It  is  clear,  then,  that  a  first-class  minister  must  know  a 
great  deal  more  than  is  taught  in  theological  seminaries. 
He  must  be  an  all-round  man. 

His  field  is  the  ethical  and  religious  interpretation  of  life 
and  the  world,  and  ministration  to  the  sympathies,  ideals, 
and  aspirations  of  his  people. 

To  do  his  work  properly,  therefore,  he  must  not  only 
study  ethics  and  religion,  but  must  know  life  and  the 
world,  not  only  from  books,  but  from  personal  contact  and 
experience.  Man,  nature,  industry,  government,  science, 
literature,  and  art  all  have  a  place  in  his  equipment. 

The  world  is  hungry  for  ministers  of  a  high  type ;  men 
of  light  and  sympathy  and  power,  —  men  who  know  life 
as  well  as  the  history  of  the  church,  —  men  who  can  help 
the  people  solve  the  problems  of  daily  life,  as  well  as 
preach  a  funeral  sermon  or  recite  the  catechism  in  sonorous 
tones. 

Case  19 

AN   EMBRYO    FORESTER 

A  vigorous  young  man  of  twenty-two;  clerk  in  a  small 
store,  fairly  successful,  trusted  by  his  employer  with  the 
general  handling  of  the  business  and  all  the  money  that 
goes  to  the  bank.  But  does  not  like  commerce.  Passion- 


128  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

ately  fond  of  nature,  —  trees,  grass,  flowers ;  often  walks 
out  ten  or  fifteen  miles  to  be  in  the  woods,  among  the  trees 
and  out  of  the  din  and  turmoil  and  deceit  of  the  city. 
Grammar  school,  and  five  years  evening  study  since.  Head 
of  his  class  in  school,  and  has  taken  prizes  for  oratory. 
Careful,  earnest,  intelligent,  and  persistent. 

"  How  would  you  like  to  be  a  florist,  or  study  forestry  and 
enter  the  Government  service,  which  is  being  developed  so 
rapidly  now  ?  "  asked  the  counselor.  "  You  might  live  with 
the  trees  then,  and  study  them  and  care  for  them,  as  a  gar- 
dener does  with  his  roses  or  a  dairyman  with  his  cattle." 

"  That  would  suit  me  exactly.  Do  you  think  I  can  do  it  ? 
I  will  work  very  hard  to  do  it,  but  I  have  to  earn  my  living 
and  help  my  family  some  for  a  year  or  two,  till  my  brother 
and  sister  are  able  to  support  themselves." 

"  Are  you  willing  to  go  West  or  South,  or  wherever  the 
forest  work  may  call  you  ?  " 

"Yes,  I '11  go  anywhere." 

"  Well,  then,  we  '11  do  our  best  to  fix  it  up  together.  And 
we  can  begin  work  right  away.  Go  to  the  public  library 
and  make  a  list  of  what  they  have  on  forestry.  Look  over 
the  more  recent  books,  take  out  the  one  you  think  is  the 
best,  and  I  '11  show  you  how  to  make  an  analysis  of  it  and 
master  the  essential  facts  and  principles.  We'll  also  get 
the  bulletins  and  lists  of  books  and  forestry  schools  from 
the  Government  Forest  Service,  collect  a  little  library  of 
the  best  books  for  systematic  study,  and  correspond  with 
the  various  schools  and  colleges  to  see  if  we  can  find  a 
chance  for  you  to  earn  some  money  while  taking  a  course 
of  forestry.  Even  if  you  don't  find  it  right  away,  you  will  be 
practically  free  in  a  year  or  two,  and  meantime  you  can  be 
studying  treeology  in  the  books  and  in  the  forest,  and  pre- 
paring yourself  to  make  the  most  of  your  college  course 
when  the  time  comes." 

This  programme  was  begun  at  once,  and  is  being  sys- 
tematically carried  out  to  the  budding  forester's  great 


SAMPLE  CASES  129 

delight.  I  have  never  seen  a  boy  devour  a  science  with 
more  enthusiasm  than  this  lover  of  trees  displays  in  absorb- 
ing the  principles  and  practice  of  forestry. 

Case  22 

A   MECHANIC   OFF  THE   TRACK 

A  young  man  of  thirty;  tall,  fine-looking,  well-built; 
clear,  keen,  fine  expression;  pleasant  voice  and  manners; 
excellent  conversational  power;  evidently  a  man  of  con- 
siderable culture  and  ability ;  bookkeeper  for  an  advertising 
concern,  —  fairly  successful,  making  $25  a  week;  liked  the 
work,  but  not  quite  satisfied  that  he  was  in  the  right  line 
since  hearing  the  counselor  talk  about  the  value  of  a  union 
of  the  best  abilities  and  enthusiasms  with  the  daily  work. 
He  had  a  high-school  education  and  course  in  a  business 
college,  and  had  done  some  good  reading  on  his  own 
initiative. 

In  answering  such  questions  as :  "  How  do  you  spend 
your  spare  time  ?  "  "  What  sort  of  books  do  you  like  best  ?  " 
"  If  you  were  in  a  big  library  with  plenty  of  time  on  your 
hands,  what  department  would  attract  you  most?"  "If 
you  were  to  visit  the  great  expositions  like  the  World's  Fairs 
at  Chicago  and  St.  Louis,  where  there  were  magnificent 
buildings  and  beautiful  grounds;  a  great  collection  of 
manufactured  products  from  all  over  the  world ;  educa- 
tional exhibits;  military  and  naval  exhibits;  Machinery 
Hall,  full  of  all  kinds  of  machinery;  Transportation  Build- 
ing, full  of  locomotives,  cars,  carriages,  automobiles,  etc.; 
Forestry,  Agricultural  and  Mining  buildings,  crowded 
with  splendid  exhibits  in  those  lines;  people  from  many 
different  nations ;  wild  animals ;  theatrical  exhibits ;  curiosi- 
ties without  number;  what  would  you  go  to  see  first,  what 
would  interest  you  most?"  In  answering  all  such  ques- 
tions, his  love  for  machinery  came  strongly  into  view.  He 
spent  his  spare  time  with  tools,  making  things  or  tinkering 


130  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

about  the  house.  His  favorite  reading  consisted  in  books 
about  machinery.  At  the  World's  Fair  he  would  go  first  to 
Machinery  Hall.  That  would  interest  him  the  most  of  all. 
He  had  a  passion  for  machinery.  He  loved  to  take  it  apart 
and  put  it  together  again.  He  could  understand  a  new 
machine  without  instructions.  He  delighted  to  solve 
mechanical  problems. 

In  addition  to  his  love  of  machinery  and  ability  to  under- 
stand and  handle  it,  he  had  strong  analytic  power,  which 
was  clearly  shown  by  a  number  of  fine  specimens  of  his 
work  exhibited  to  the  counselor.  His  record  and  work  also 
gave  evidence  of  considerable  inventiveness  and  organizing 
ability. 

"  Is  there  full  scope  in  bookkeeping  for  the  exercise  of 
your  best  abilities,  —  your  ability  to  deal  with  machinery, 
your  analytic  power  and  organizing  ability  ?  " 

"  No,  there  is  n't." 

"  What  lines  of  industry,  then,  would  give  full  scope  for 
your  best  powers  ?  " 

"Some  mechanical  work." 

"  Is  not  the  question,  then,  what  line  of  mechanical  work 
offers  you  the  best  opportunities  and  fullest  advantages  ?  " 

The  young  man  thought  this  was  so.  We  went  over 
various  mechanical  industries  together,  and  he  decided  to 
take  a  course  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Automobile  School  and 
also  a  course  in  Electricity  with  a  view  to  completing  his 
studies  in  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology. 
Effort  was  also  to  be  made  at  once  to  transfer  his  work  in 
bookkeeping  to  some  manufacturing  company,  where  he 
would  come  into  contact  with  machinery,  and  so  help  the 
change  to  mechanical  activities. 

At  the  end  of  the  interview  he  shook  the  counselor's  hand 
most  heartily,  and  said  he  thought  this  had  been  the  most 
important  hour  of  his  life,  the  most  illuminating  talk  he 
had  ever  had.  The  conference,  he  believed,  would  change 
the  whole  course  of  his  life. 


SAMPLE  CASES  131 

If  this  young  man  had  continued  to  be  a  bookkeeper  for 
the  rest  of  his  life,  his  best  powers  and  ambitions  and 
enthusiasms  would  have  been  divorced  from  his  daily 
work.  He  would  have  spent  his  working  hours  with  the 
ledgers  and  account  books  and  his  spare  time  with  ma- 
chinery. By  changing  to  a  mechanical  occupation  he  can 
unite  his  highest  abilities  and  enthusiasms  with  his  daily 
work,  and  so  attain  a  development,  success,  and  happiness 
that  would  otherwise  have  been  impossible. 

The  transfer  to  the  employ  of  a  company  where  he 
would  come  into  contact  with  machinery  was  effected  a 
few  weeks  after  the  interview. 

Case  23 

ARCHITECT   OR   PHYSICAL   DIRECTOR 

Young  man  of  twenty-three ;  medium  size,  good-looking, 
clear  complexion,  athletic,  extremely  fond  of  physical 
exercise,  very  sociable  nature,  the  human  and  social  ele- 
ments very  strong;  idealism  and  constructiveness  much 
weaker,  memory  fair,  manual  ability  medium;  assistant 
physical  director  in  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  vibrating  between 
the  plan  of  perfecting  himself  for  a  full  fledged  physical 
directorship  and  the  completion  of  his  studies  in  architec- 
ture, a  business  he  began  to  study  and  worked  at  for  some 
time  in  an  architect's  office  with  fair  results. 

The  counselor  suggested  that  each  should  make  a  com- 
parison of  the  two  vocations  in  parallel  columns,  and  then 
compare  notes  at  a  second  interview.  The  following  dia- 
gram gives  the  results :  — 

Physical  Director.  Architect. 

Active  life.  More  sedentary. 

Healthful  work.  Less  healthful. 

Close  contact  with  men.  The    human    element    much 

weaker  and  less  constant. 


132 


CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 


Fine,  helpful,  sympathetic  re- 
lationships. 


The  human  element   constant 
and  strong. 

Easy  access  —  already  have  a 
good  start  in  the  profession. 


Fair  pay. 

Little  or  no  capital  required. 


Work  more  with  things  than 
with  men;  fair  relationships 
but  not  so  close,  constant,  or 
personally  helpful. 

More  attention  to  drawings  and 
buildings  than  to  human  be- 
ings as  such. 

Idealism  and  construct! veness 
very  important  elements. 

Manual  skill  and  mathematics 
and  executive  ability  also. 

Large  compensation  if  success- 
ful. 

No  capital  necessary  if  one 
works  as  an  employee  in  an 
architect's  office,  But  — 

Considerable  capital  is  needed 
to  establish  one's  self  in  an 
independent  business,  for  an 
architect  must  often  make 
expensive  drawings  and  esti- 
mates and  wait  a  long  time 
for  his  pay. 


On  the  basis  of  this  comparative  statement  the  counselor 
made  the  following  suggestions :  — 

"  Do  you  not  think  that,  on  the  whole,  your  abilities  and 
inclinations,  especially  your  strong  tendency  to  and  marked 
ability  for  an  active  life  full  of  the  human  element,  adapt 
you  much  better  to  the  life  of  a  physical  director  than  to 
that  of  an  architect? 

"Do  you  believe  that  you  would  be  permanently  satis- 
fied with  the  comparatively  sedentary  life  of  an  architect, 
dealing  with  paper,  pencil  and  ink,  brick  and  mortar,  wood 
and  iron,  and  all  the  details  of  designing  and  constructing 
buildings,  with  comparatively  little  of  the  human  element  ? 

"Could  building  houses  of  wood  and  stone  ever  be  so 
attractive  to  you  as  building  up  fine  human  bodies  of  flesh 
and  blood? 


SAMPLE  CASES  133 

"The  direction  in  which  our  main  enthusiasms  and 
abilities  lie  is  the  direction  in  which  we  are  most  likely  to 
win  marked  success.  If  you  had  a  specially  fine  opening  in 
architecture  and  a  much  poorer  one  in  the  other  calling 
that  would  make  a  change  in  the  basis  for  decision  which 
possibly  might  appeal  to  you,  but  at  present  your  oppor- 
tunities appear  to  be  better  in  the  line  of  the  physical 
directorship. 

"  If  you  decide  on  the  basis  of  fullest  adaptability,  most 
congenial  life,  and  best  opportunity  in  favor  of  the  physical 
directorship,  I  hope  you  will  proceed  with  all  your  energy 
and  enthusiasm  to  perfect  yourself  for  that  work.  A  medi- 
cal course  and  a  course  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Training  School 
at  Springfield,  Mass.,  would  be  especially  valuable. 

"  If  you  decide  in  favor  of  architecture  as  your  life  work 
you  might  first  take  an  evening  course  in  this  study,  saving 
your  money  meanwhile  so  as  to  be  able  to  complete  your 
studies  at  Tech. 

"  In  any  case  I  hope  you  will  not  confine  your  studies  to 
your  vocation.  There  are  other  things  in  life  besides  earn- 
ing a  living.  A  man  should  study  to  be  a  good  citizen  and 
a  well-rounded  human  being,  as  well  as  to  be  an  efficient 
worker.  And,  in  fact,  a  man  cannot  be  a  first-class  worker 
unless  he  knows  more  than  his  work.  A  good  architect 
must  know  more  than  architecture.  An  A  1  physical 
director  must  know  more  than  athletics  and  medicine." 

The  young  man  said  these  suggestions  made  his  case 
perfectly  clear,  the  tabular  contrast  of  the  two  professions 
being  especially  illuminating  to  him.  He  would  not  be 
satisfied  to  devote  himself  to  things  rather  than  to  men. 

Case  33 

BUSINESS   OR  LAW;   A   HOUSE   HALF   BUILT 

Assistant  buyer  in  a  department  store ;  thinks  he  would 
like  to  be  a  lawyer;  twenty-two  years  old ;  small,  healthy; 
low  forehead,  narrow  head  not  very  well  balanced,  high 


134  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

cheek  bones,  coarse  features  but  bright  and  expressive, 
pleasant  smile ;  rapid  utterance,  not  very  clear ;  moderate 
and  non-aggressive  intellectually,  but  energetic  and  enthu- 
siastic in  performance.  Has  a  high-school  education.  Was 
first  rate  in  mathematics,  but  very  poor  in  history,  —  just 
managed  to  pass.  Memory  not  very  good.  Read  some  of 
Dickens,  Kipling,  and  Shakespeare.  No  study  of  oratory. 
Done  very  little  speaking.  Not  fond  of  argument.  Mild 
disposition,  not  combative  at  all.  Now  taking  evening 
course  in  law.  Questions  on  his  law  work  brought  answers 
so  confused  as  to  show  that  he  has  no  clear  idea  of  the 
matters  he  has  been  over,  —  no  grip  on  the  law  or  the 
proper  methods  of  studying  it.  He  says  he  is  fond  of  store 
work,  pretty  successful  in  it,  and  would  like  to  develop  into 
a  full  fledged  buyer ;  but  one  of  his  friends  was  going  to  be 
a  lawyer  and  proposed  that  he  should  become  a  lawyer,  too. 

When  the  record  was  finished  the  counselor  said :  — 

"  When  a  man  has  a  house  half  built,  in  a  good  location, 
foundation  laid  and  walls  well  up,  nearly  ready  to  put  on 
the  roof,  is  it  wise  to  abandon  the  building,  choose  a  new 
location,  and  begin  another  building  from  the  foundation 
up,  when  there  is  no  necessity  for  the  change  nor  any  good 
reason  to  believe  the  new  building  will  be  better  or  perhaps 
as  good  as  the  first  one  that  is  nearly  finished  ?  Is  that  a 
wise  proceeding  ? " 

"  It  don't  look  so." 

"  Well,  is  n't  that  about  what  you  are  thinking  of  doing  ? 
It  would  probably  take  you  ten  years  to  get  as  near  to  suc- 
cess in  the  law  as  you  are  now  in  business.  Moreover,  you 
have  tried  business,  and  you  know  you  can  be  reasonably 
successful  there,  while  it  is  not  clear  at  all  that  you  would 
be  successful  in  the  law.  Your  memory  is  not  very  good. 
Your  ideas  as  to  the  law  of  torts,  which  you  have  studied, 
are  very  confused  and  inadequate.  You  are  twenty-two 
years  old,  and  have  shown  no  aptitude  in  the  line  of  public 
speaking,  nor  any  appetite  for  the  discussion  of  public 


SAMPLE  CASES  135 

questions,  or  argument  of  any  kind.  The  law  is  a  fighting 
profession  on  one  side,  and  opens  on  political  life  on  the 
other.  You  do  not  seem  to  be  cut  out  for  intellectual  con- 
flict, nor  to  have  any  special  interest  in  public  affairs,  — 
no  symptoms  of  a  legal  or  civic  mind.  Study  comes  hard 
to  you.  A  lawyer  ought  to  master  a  library  full  of  books. 
That  would  be  very  difficult  for  you.  Moreover,  the  law  is 
a  crowded  profession.  It  is  hard  to  get  a  foothold  even 
when  you  are  well  adapted  to  the  work.  You  appear  to  be 
far  better  adapted  to  commercial  life  than  the  law.  It 
would  certainly  take  you  many  years  to  get  as  near  to 
success  in  the  law  as  you  are  now  in  commerce." 

"  It  seems  very  clear  to  me  now  that  you  state  the  facts," 
said  the  young  man.  "  It  is  strange  I  did  n't  see  it  before. 
It  would  take  a  long  time  in  the  law  to  get  where  I  am  now 
in  business.  I  like  the  store,  and  might  as  well  stick  to  it 
and  work  up." 

"  I  think  you  are  right,"  replied  the  counselor.  "  It  will 
not  hurt  you  to  finish  your  evening  course  in  law.  It  is  an 
excellent  culture  study.  You  are  a  citizen  as  well  as  a 
worker,  and  you  ought  to  know  something  about  law  and 
government  and  economics.  Read  Fiske,  Ely,  Dole,  Bryce, 
Shaw,  and  other  writers  our  '  civic  suggestions '  indicate, 
as  you  can  get  the  time,  and  read  systematically  to  under- 
stand and  remember  what  you  read.  This  analysis  of 
memory  method  will  help  you  develop  your  memory  and 
get  better  results  from  it"  (giving  the  young  man  the 
leaflet  on  memory,  with  a  few  moments'  explanation  and 
emphasis  of  the  leading  points). 

"Study  your  stock.  Get  familiar  with  values.  Practice 
several  times  a  day,  whenever  you  can  get  a  few  minutes, 
concealing  labels  and  mixing  the  goods,  and  then  naming 
quality  and  price  by  sight  and  touch.  Carry  samples  in 
your  pockets,  and  educate  your  fingers  while  traveling  in 
the  street  cars.  Keep  on  till  you  can  tell  the  qualities  and 
prices  with  quickness  and  certainty,  —  tell  them  in  the 


136  CHOOSING  A   VOCATION 

dark.  Master  your  trade.  Get  acquainted  with  buyers 
and  learn  the  secrets  of  the  business.  We  '11  give  you  letters 
to  one  or  two  of  the  best.  Join  one  or  more  business  organ- 
izations where  you  can  come  into  association  with  the  best 
men  in  your  line,  and  cultivate  them.  Take  a  good  trade 
journal  and  get  the  best  books  relating  to  your  business, 
and  study  them  till  you  know  their  substance  by  heart. 
Practice  drawing  your  stock  from  memory  till  you  can 
locate  every  bit  of  it  with  the  pencil  as  fast  as  your  fingers 
can  move.  Study  style  and  novelties.  Watch  the  market 
and  try  to  anticipate  it.  Watch  what  other  buyers  are 
doing,  and  go  them  one  better  if  you  can.  Above  all,  re- 
member that  the  fundamental  secret  of  success  in  your 
business  is  genuine  service  to  the  public." 

Case  57 

MORE   STUDY   AND    EXPERIENCE   NEEDED   TO    REACH 
DEFINITE   CONCLUSION 

A  six  footer,  nineteen  years  old,  weight  159.  Born  at 
Wellesley  Hills.  Fine  physique.  Health  excellent.  Lost 
no  time  by  sickness  last  three  years.  Head  large,  splen- 
didly shaped;  7f  hat.  Good-looking,  manners  and  voice 
o.  k. ;  memory  good ;  careful,  intelligent,  modest,  no  bad 
habits.  Father  a  gardener;  his  father  an  engineer  on  a 
large  estate  in  England.  Very  inventive  and  successful. 
Mother's  father  also  an  engineer. 

Education,  grammar  school.  Best  studies  drawing  and 
history ;  high  mark  in  drawing.  Not  good  in  mathematics. 

Reading :  Inventions,  mechanical  news,  and  ads  in  cur- 
rent magazines ;  a  few  novels,  —  "  The  Crisis,"  "  That 
Lass  o'  Lowrie's,"  etc. 

Spare  time  spent  generally  in  reading,  and  lately  two  or 
three  evenings  a  week  in  gymnasium. 

At  World's  Fair  would  go  first  to  Machinery  Hall ;  chief 
interest  would  be  there. 


SAMPLE  CASES  137 

In  list  of  industries,  chiefly  interested  in  "Skilled  Me- 
chanic," "Steam  Railroad,"  "Inventor,"  "Architect." 

Experience :  Worked  some  at  gardening  while  at  school. 
Left  school  at  sixteen.  Went  to  work  as  office  boy  $2.50  a 
week.  Stayed  three  years,  ending  as  shipping  clerk  and 
buyer  of  office  supplies,  $9  a  week.  Left  to  learn  jewelry 
engraving.  Studied  seven  weeks,  and  found  it  would  take 
three  or  four  years,  so  went  and  got  work  as  chainman  on 
an  irrigation  survey,  $30  a  month  and  board.  Winter  came 
and  work  stopped.  Last  fall,  1907,  went  to  Los  Angeles, 
California.  Had  saved  enough  to  pay  fare  and  some  over. 
No  work  in  Los  Angeles.  Father  sent  money  for  ticket  home. 

Now  working  at  bookkeeping  in  an  insurance  office,  $8  a 
week.  Did  not  study  bookkeeping,  just  picked  it  up. 

Comments  and  Suggestions. 

Strong  in  drawing ;  loves  machinery,  reads  about  it,  likes 
to  see  and  handle  it.  Heredity  points  the  same  way.  An- 
cestors —  engineers  on  both  sides,  and  one  of  them  very 
inventive. 

Mechanical  mind  and  interest.  Suggest  skilled  artisan, 
machinist,  or  engineer,  in  order  to  unite  best  ability  and 
enthusiasm  with  daily  work. 

Read  Fowler's  "  Starting  in  Life,"  and  the  books  on  our 
select  list  relating  to  modern  mechanism  and  the  history  of 
invention.  Visit  various  mechanical  industries,  railroad 
shops,  machine  shops,  electrical  works,  shoe  factories, 
foundries,  watch  factories,  engine  works,  etc.  See  the  men 
at  work.  Talk  with  them.  Try  your  hand  at  the  work  if 
you  can.  When  you  have  gained  a  close  acquaintance  with 
some  of  the  principal  lines  of  mechanical  work  by  obser- 
vation, reading,  and  experience,  come  back  and  we  will  go 
over  the  courses  that  are  available  in  or  near  Boston  for 
day  or  evening  study  and  practice,  in  preparation  for  the 
mechanical  business  that  may  then  seem  best  for  you. 

While  studying  out  your  vocation  read  for  citizenship 


138  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

and  general  culture,  taking  some  of  the  books  on  the 
sheet  of  Civic  Suggestions.  It  would  be  a  good  plan  for 
you,  perhaps,  to  begin  with  Fiske  and  Dole,  following 
them  with  Forman,  Bryce,  and  Bridgman. 

The  more  the  young  man  studied  and  investigated  him- 
self and  his  industrial  problem,  the  clearer  and  stronger  be- 
came the  tendency  to  mechanical  work ;  and  as  this  state- 
ment is  issued,  word  comes  from  him  that  he  has  accepted 
an  opportunity  to  work  his  way  through  the  Automobile 
School  of  the  Boston  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  which  offers  a  very 
thorough  and  practical  course. 

Case  64 

MINING   ENGINEER   OB  TEACHER   AND   ACCOUNTANT 

Boy  of  nineteen;  height  5  ft.  ^  in.,  weight  137;  well- 
built  and  handsome ;  winning  smile  and  pleasant  manners, 
well-shaped  head,  vigorous  health.  Has  not  lost  two 
weeks  in  sickness  in  as  many  years. 

Father  a  machinist.   His  father  a  tin  peddler. 

Education:  Grammar  and  one  year  high;  two  years 
bookkeeping  and  shorthand;  began  railroad  engineering 
course,  International  Correspondence  School,  but  did  not 
finish.  All  studies  came  easily ;  best  records  in  mathematics, 
worst  in  spelling. 

Reading:  Cooper,  Henty,  Eliot,  Scott,  "Comedy  of 
Errors,"  "Julius  Caesar,"  etc.  Not  much  reading  in  the 
last  three  years,  so  busy  with  work  and  study. 

Experience :  Went  to  work  at  fourteen  in  vacation  time. 
Worked  in  shoe  factory  helping  father  at  $10  a  week. 
Father  paid  more  than  wrork  was  worth.  Saved  my  money, 
bought  my  own  bicycle,  etc.  In  1904  went  to  work  steadily 
for  the  shoe  company  at  $10  a  week.  In  August,  1904, 
wrent  to  Brazil  and  Buenos  Ayres  with  father.  Worked 
there  nine  months  teaching  natives  how  to  operate  shoe 
machines  at  $10  and  expenses.  April,  1905,  came  back  to 


SAMPLE  CASES  139 

Boston,  went  to  Bryant  &  Stratton's,  spending  summer 
vacations  in  factory.  In  1907  left  school  and  went  to  work 
as  bookkeeper  and  stenographer  with  a  manufacturing 
firm  at  $10  a  week.  November,  1907,  employed  by  an 

auditor,  Professor ,  of  the School,  to  go  to  New 

York  to  audit  the  books  of  the  F.  D.  Co.,  $15  a  week  and 
expenses.  Afterward  audited  books  of  B.  F.  Co.  of  Boston 

for  Professor ,  on  the  same  terms.    "Like  the  work 

very  much;  best  job  I  ever  had.  Don't  like  the  routine  of 
steady  bookkeeping,  but  auditing  a  set  of  books  is  fine." 

"  Was  your  work  satisfactory  to  Professor ?  " 

"Yes,  he  was  pleased  with  the  work  we  did." 
"  What  did  he  get  from  the  company  for  the  job  ?  " 
"  He  got  $700  from  the  New  York  company,  and  em- 
ployed two  of  us  boys  to  check  up  the  books." 

"  What  did  it  cost  him  for  your  pay  and  expenses  ?  " 
"  We  worked  about  four  weeks  and  a  half.  Our  pay  came 
to  about  $135,  and  expenses  for  both  of  us  about  $75." 

"  How  much  time  did  the  auditor,  Professor ,  put 

in  on  the  job  ?  " 

"  About  ten  days,  I  think." 

"He  got,  then,  something  like  $500  for  ten  days'  work 
and  his  responsibility ;  about  $50  a  day,  which  is  the  sort  of 
pay  a  first-class  auditor  can  make.  If  you  persevere  until 
you  qualify  yourself  to  take  the  contract  instead  of  being 
employed  as  a  helper,  you  can  multiply  the  $15  a  week 
you  have  been  getting  by  ten  or  twenty." 

January,  1908,  went  to  Academy  and  started  to 

prepare  for  Tech.  Left  in  one  week,  found  they  did  not 
give  the  right  course  to  fit  a  man  for  Tech.  Then  went 
to  Chauncy  Hall  School  to  prepare  to  enter  Tech  in  the 
Mining  Engineering  Course.  Doing  stenographic  work, 

and  teaching  two  evenings  in  the School,  bookkeeping, 

commercial  arithmetic,  correspondence,  and  penmanship. 
Likes  teaching  very  much  and  is  successful  with  the 
boys,  and  highly  commended  by  the  head  of  the  school. 


140  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

"  How  long  would  it  take  to  perfect  yourself  to  pass  the 
state  examination  and  become  a  certified  accountant  ?  " 

"  A  year  or  so,  perhaps ;  do  not  know  exactly." 

"How  long  would  it  take  for  you  to  go  through  the 
Engineering  Course  in  the  Institute  of  Technology  ?  " 

"  Six  years." 

"  What  do  you  know  about  mining  engineering  ?  Have 
you  ever  visited  a  mine,  or  been  acquainted  with  a  mining 
engineer  ? " 

"No." 

"  It  seems  that  you  have  two  good  ways  of  earning  money, 
one  is  teaching  commercial  subjects  and  the  other  is  book- 
keeping and  accounting.  Why  should  you  not  aim  to  be- 
come a  teacher  in  a  business  high  school  or  college,  and 

take  jobs  of  auditing  as  your  Professor does  now? 

Or,  you  could  soon  become  a  certified  public  accountant, 
and  devote  yourself  entirely  to  that  sort  of  work. 

"As  a  teacher  of  business  subjects  you  could  probably 
command  in  a  few  years  from  $1500  to  $3000  a  year,  and 
there  is  a  great  demand  for  such  teachers.  As  a  public 
accountant  you  might  hope  to  grow  to  an  income  of  any- 
where from  $5000  to  $15,000  a  year.  You  are  planning  to 
leave  your  work,  which  you  know  all  about  and  thoroughly 
like,  in  which  you  have  proved  very  efficient  and  satisfac- 
tory, and  which  holds  out  a  promise  of  excellent  remunera- 
tion with  a  little  persevering  effort  on  your  part,  —  you  are 
planning  to  leave  all  this  to  devote  six  years  of  study  to 
preparation  for  a  new  line  of  work,  about  which  you  say  you 
know  practically  nothing.  Is  it  wise  to  spend  all  the  time 
and  money  involved  in  this  plan,  without  first  investigating 
the  business  of  mining  engineering  sufficiently  to  be  sure 
that  you  would  like  the  work  better  than  auditing  or  teach- 
ing, and  so  have  a  solid  basis  for  deciding  that  you  had 
better  leave  teaching  or  auditing  for  the  life  of  an  engineer  ? 
The  question  of  ability  does  not  rise  in  this  case,  for  you 
undoubtedly  have  the  ability  to  fit  yourself  for  an  engineer 


SAMPLE  CASES 


141 


if  you  conclude  that  that  is  the  wise  thing  to  do ;  but  you 
have  spent  some  of  your  best  years  in  preparation  for 
auditing  and  business  teaching,  and  your  preparation  and 
experience  in  these  lines  should  not  be  abandoned  without 
excellent  reason.  You  are  practically  ready  to  put  the 
roof  on  the  house  you  have  been  building.  Don't  leave  it 
to  begin  a  new  structure  from  the  ground  up,  unless  you 
are  sure  that  the  new  building  will  be  enough  better  than 
the  one  you  have  now  in  process  of  construction  to  pay 
you  for  the  sacrifice  of  time  and  effort  that  will  be  necessary 
to  make  the  change. 

"  Make  a  diagram  presenting  a  comparative  study  some- 
what as  follows ;  and  then  come  back  for  another  talk." 


DIAGRAM 

CERTIFIED 
PUBLIC 
ACCOUNTANT 

TEACHER  IN 
BUSINESS 
COLLEGE  OR 
SCHOOL  OF 
COMMERCE, 
WITH  AUDI- 
TING CON- 

MINING 

ENGINEER 

TRACTS  ON 
THE  SIDE 

How  long  will  it  take  to  com- 
plete your  preparation  ? 

Cost  of  preparation. 

Opportunities  and  readiness 
with   which  you  can  get 
into  the  work. 

Pay,  immediate,  prospective. 

Conditions  of  work: 
Location. 
Kind  of  life. 
Human  element. 
Healthfulness,  etc. 

Other  elements: 
Degree  of  independence. 
Social  consideration. 
Satisfaction  in  the  work. 
Its  general  nature  and  re- 
sults, permanence,  qual- 
ity, importance. 

142  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

Case  70 

BARRED   BY   THE   PREJUDICE   AGAINST   AGE 

A  well-built  man  of  fifty-nine,  with  white  hair  and  mus- 
tache; troubled  somewhat  with  rheumatism  in  his  wrist, 
but  otherwise  quite  vigorous  and  able.  Was  traveling 
salesman  twenty-five  years  for  a  Boston  wholesale  drug 
and  paint  house,  till  the  firm  went  out  of  business.  Then 
sold  in  New  England  territory  for  the  Buffalo  linseed  oil 
people  a  year  and  a  half.  Made  excellent  sales.  Has  sold 
as  high  as  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  worth  of  goods  in 
a  year.  Oil  people  found  they  could  get  along  with  one 
less  man  in  Buffalo,  so  dismissed  their  new  salesman  and 
transferred  to  New  England  the  spare  man  from  Buffalo 
who  had  been  with  them  a  long  time. 

Been  out  of  work  now  one  year  and  five  months.  Has 
made  many  efforts  to  get  employment.  Sometimes  the 
managers  say  they  will  give  him  work  when  they  have  a 
place,  and  then  they  hire  younger  men.  Often  the  man- 
agers say  they  are  limited  to  men  under  thirty-five,  men 
who  will  grow  up  with  the  business  and  be  good  for  many 
years. 

Aged  mother  to  support  and  savings  almost  exhausted. 
Completely  discouraged,  and  shows  it  in  face,  voice,  man- 
ner, and  attitude. 

Suggestions. 

Rejuvenate  yourself  so  far  as  possible.  Pay  strict  atten- 
tion to  your  personal  appearance.  Do  not  advertise  your 
age,  but  advertise  your  strength.  Be  as  young  as  possible. 
Put  vim  into  your  manner  and  voice.  Put  vitality  into 
your  tones  and  life  into  your  face.  So  long  as  a  man  has 
vigor,  age  is  largely  a  matter  of  mental  attitude  and  will 
power.  As  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  used  to  say,  it  is  better 
to  be  seventy  years  young  than  seventy  years  old. 


SAMPLE  CASES  143 

Brace  up.  No  one  wants  a  man  who  acknowledges  him- 
self as  a  down-and-out,  a  man  who  is  defeated  and  dis- 
couraged and  shows  it.  You  are  an  experienced  salesman. 
You  know  how  to  smile  and  tell  a  good  story  and  talk  up 
the  goods  you  have  to  sell.  You  have  some  valuable  labor 
to  sell.  The  next  time  you  try  to  dispose  of  it,  don't  tell  a 
sad  story  or  look  like  a  funeral  procession,  but  smile  at 
the  man ;  tell  him  your  record  for  big  sales,  show  him  your 
recommendations,  crack  a  joke  with  him,  and  talk  as  you 
used  to  talk  when  you  were  selling  thousands  of  dollars 
worth  a  week.  Talk  as  if  you  were  making  a  fifty-thousand- 
dollar  sale,  and  expected  to  win  out.  In  other  words,  show 
your  power  in  your  application,  and  give  the  impression  of 
strength  and  confidence. 

You  are  a  salesman,  and  a  good  one.  What  you  need  is 
not  a  new  vocation,  but  work  to  do.  Make  a  systematic 
canvas  for  work  through  your  old  friends,  the  men  to  whom 
you  used  to  sell  goods. 

Do  your  best ;  and  if  it  does  n't  work,  come  back  and 
we  '11  see  what  more  can  be  done  to  help  you  get  a  chance  to 
use  your  experience  and  ability  and  make  a  living  for 
yourself  and  your  mother. 

Case  72 

TO   BE   OB  NOT  TO   BE   A   STENOGRAPHER 

Young  man  of  twenty-seven;  good-looking,  pleasant 
voice  and  manners,  cordial  smile,  very  attractive  presence. 
Health  excellent,  lost  no  time  by  sickness  in  the  last  five 
years;  never  was  sick  in  bed.  Born  in  Cambridge.  Father 

a  Methodist  minister  and  ex-president  of University. 

Grandfather  also  a  Methodist  preacher.  Great-grand- 
father a  merchant  and  local  preacher.  Mother  taught 
school.  Her  father  and  grandfather  were  Massachusetts 
farmers.  Uncle  on  mother's  side  formerly  owned  a  grocery, 
now  traveling  for  the  Bible  Society.  One  sister 


144  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

teaching ;  another,  a  graduate  of  Simmons  College,  is  sec- 
retary to  a  professor  in  a  Western  college.  Older  brother 

submaster  in  the  School.  Three  younger  brothers 

in  high  school. 

Education:  Boston  grammar  and  two  years  in  Latin 
school ;  Mt.  Hermon  School  three  and  one  half  years ;  and 
graduated  B.  S.  from  Wesleyan  University,  1906.  Best 
marks  in  algebra  and  arithmetic,  sometimes  top-notch. 
But  liked  modern  languages  and  science  best,  especially 
chemistry.  Ranked  above  the  average,  but  no  prizes. 

Spends  spare  time  in  library,  reading  fiction,  politics, 
and  college  sporting  news,  or  in  gymnasium.  Theatre 
now  and  then ;  fond  of  Shakespearean  plays  and  plays  like 
"  The  Man  of  the  Hour."  Does  n't  care  for  musical  com- 
edy, or  for  music,  or  art.  Has  done  no  public  speaking  to 
amount  to  anything. 

Worked  in  dry-goods  store,  in  charge  of  stock.  Later  a 
service  inspector  for  Telephone  Company.  Now  in  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  office  work.  Thinking  of  teaching,  or  stenography. 

Auditory  reactions  slow.  Impressions  quite  imperfect. 
Verbal  memory  tests  gave  very  poor  results;  could  not 
repeat  correctly  easy  sentences  of  twelve  or  fifteen  words, 
even  when  read  quite  slowly  and  distinctly. 

Suggestions. 

To  make  an  expert  stenographer  one  should  have  a  keen 
and  accurate  auditory  memory,  and  capacity  for  rapid 
transfer  of  auditory  and  visual  impressions  from  the  brain 
through  the  hand.  You  are  not  quick,  and  your  word 
memory  is  very  poor.  You  might  overcome  these  handicaps 
and  become  a  fair  stenographer,  but  your  natural  aptitudes 
do  not  seem  to  lie  in  that  direction.  The  family  drift  ap- 
pears to  be  toward  teaching  and  the  ministry,  which  is  a 
combination  of  teaching  and  social  work.  Your  record  in 
school  and  college  indicates  that  you  might,  perhaps,  teach 
some  branch  of  science  or  mathematics  with  credit  and 


SAMPLE  CASES  145 

success.  And  your  pleasing  way  of  meeting  people  is  an 
element  of  adaptation  to  Y.  M.  C.  A.  work  or  social  work, 
teaching,  or  any  business  or  profession  which  brings  one 
into  contact  with  many  people. 

You  have  devoted  your  life  so  far  too  much  to  books  and 
too  little  to  doing  useful  work.  Acquiring  knowledge  is  all 
right,  but  you  should  learn  to  use  your  knowledge  also. 
Devote  yourself  to  that  as  systematically  as  you  did  to 
acquiring  knowledge  in  your  college  days. 

If  you  feel  strongly  drawn  to  secretarial  work,  or  have  a 
specially  good  opportunity  in  that  line,  it  may  be  well  to  go 
to  a  skillful  and  disinterested  teacher  of  stenography  and 
get  him  to  test  you  long  enough  and  thoroughly  enough  to 
make  it  quite  clear  whether  it  is  worth  while  for  you  to 
pursue  that  line  or  not.  My  impression  on  the  facts  before 
us  is  that  you  would  have  a  much  better  chance  to  make 
a  good  success  in  some  educational  line,  or  in  general 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  work  or  social  work.  You  might  fit  yourself 
probably  for  any  one  of  many  occupations,  agricultural, 
mechanical,  commercial,  etc.;  but  your  strong  points  now 
appear  to  be  your  pleasing  address  and  your  mathematical 
bent,  and  your  weakest  point  appears  to  be  your  verbal 
memory,  so  that  stenography  is  probably  one  of  the  callings 
for  which  you  are  not  naturally  well  adapted. 

Case  84 

CONGENIAL  WORK   WITH    DUE   CARE   FOR  THE    HEALTH 

A  fine  girl  of  eighteen,  beautiful  and  cultured,  5  ft.  6,  and 
140  Ibs.  A  charming  girl,  of  excellent  family.  Father  a 
man  of  the  finest  type  of  character  and  ability.  Head  well 
shaped  on  the  whole,  but  curves  not  full  above  the  temples. 
Strong  and  well  except  that  the  nerves  are  not  in  perfect 
tone.  Trouble  with  nerves  for  several  years,  brought  on  by 
overstudy.  Could  not  concentrate.  Had  to  stay  out  of  high 
school  a  year.  Has  to  be  careful  still;  can't  concentrate 


146 


CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 


fully.  Verbal  memory  quite  imperfect  both  on  visual  and 
auditory  tests. 

In  third  year  of  high  school.  Last  year  got  A's  in  every- 
thing the  whole  year  through.  This  year  A's  and  B's 
mixed.  Likes  algebra,  geometry,  physics,  history,  English 
composition,  and  gymnasium  work  best ;  foreign  languages 
least.  Read  Kipling's  "  Jungle  Stories,"  Morgan's  "  Some- 
how Good,"  and  a  lot  of  stories.  Careful,  cooperative, 
reliable,  earnest ;  will-power  and  perseverance  excellent. 

Would  like  to  do  something,  something  besides  house- 
work; likes  housework  when  working  with  others,  but 
wants  to  do  something  in  the  world.  Went  through  the  list 
of  industries  open  to  women,  stating  which  were  attractive 
and  which  were  to  be  regarded  as  very  undesirable  for  her. 
Results  as  follows  :  — 


Would  not  like, 

Care  of  animals  or  plant  cul- 
ture. Making  food  products 
or  textile  manufactures,  sell- 
ing goods.  Domestic  work. 
Hotel  or  restaurant.  Home 
manufactures.  Commercial 
callings,  agencies,  teaching, 
library  work,  law,  medicine, 
surgery,  artistic  group  of  em- 
ployments. 


Would  like, 

(A)  Journalism. 

"Nothing  I'd  like  better, 
—  not  writing  fiction  but 
facts." 

(A)  Social  or  Welfare  work,  — 
helping  to  manage  or 
operate  a  college  settle- 
ment, for  example,  or  a 
department  of  it,  or 
other  work  of  social 
value. 

Teaching  physical  culture. 
(A)  Secretarial  work. 

Might  be  willing  to  do  of- 
fice work  or  take  civil 
service  position ;  but 
would  not  care  specially 
for  it. 

The  three  occupations  marked  (A)  were  the  most 
attractive  in  our  list  of  over  two  hundred  ways  in  which 
women  are  earning  money. 


SAMPLE  CASES  147 

Suggestions. 

1.  Interests  may  change  as  experience  broadens  and 
deepens.   Five  years  from  now  you  may  be  as  thoroughly 
interested  in  homekeeping  as  you  are  now  in  writing  and 
social  work.   But  meantime,  while  you  are  developing  and 
getting  a  fuller  and  more  varied  knowledge  of  life  and  in- 
dustry, we  can  test  your  abilities  and  your  present  interests 
(which  seem  to  be  fairly  well  founded  and  in  line  with  the 
indications  of  heredity  and  family  environment),  to  see  if 
the  best  of  both  can  be  united  with  your  daily  work  at  the 
same  time  that  due  respect  is  paid  to  your  health. 

2.  You  should  be  careful  not  to  engage  in  work  that  is 
very  confining  and  sedentary,  or  involves  any  serious  strain 
on  the  nervous  system.    Health  is  the  first  point.    Your 
work  should,  if  possible,  be  such  as  to  help  the  nerves  and 
heart  and  build  up  strength  rather  than  make  large  de- 
mands on  nervous  power,  at  least  for  a  few  years.    Your 
memory  trouble  and  difficulty  in  concentration  apparently 
have  their  source  in  lack  of  physical  tone,  and  are  probably 
only  temporary,  but  must  be  allowed  for  at  present. 

Secretarial  work  is  confining,  and  may  make  consider- 
able demands  on  memory  and  concentration.  Moreover 
the  worker  is  at  the  call  of  the  employer,  who  may  need  to 
make  the  largest  demands  at  a  time  when  the  worker  is 
least  fitted  to  bear  the  strain. 

3.  Your  memory  handicap  also  points  against  secretarial 
work.  A  stenographer  should  have  a  good  verbal  memory. 
This  handicap   in  relation  to  authorship  or  journalism 
would  not  be  so  great,  though  still  of  some  weight.   I  shall 
give  you  an  analysis  of  the  methods  of  cultivating  the 
memory  and  getting  the  best  results  from  it,  which  will 
help  you  to  overcome  your  difficulty  in  this  respect. 

4.  I  do  not  find  in  your  case  the  strenuous  appetite  for 
reading  on  the  line  of  the  literary  talent  or  ambition,  or 
the  spontaneous  overflow  into  MSS.  or  expression  of  some 


148  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

kind  that  is  usually  manifested  by  those  who  are  specially 
adapted  to  authorship. 

This  is  only  a  straw,  by  no  means  conclusive.  Heredity 
points  the  other  way,  and  some  of  the  best  writers  have 
developed  the  gift  of  expression  pretty  late  in  life. 

5.  Social  work  in  many  lines  is  less  confining  and  puts 
less  strain  on  memory,  concentration,  etc.  Active  social  or 
welfare  work  under  good  conditions  helps  the  health,  and 
brings  the  best  powers  and  enthusiasms  into  play.    You 
have  an  excellent  opportunity  for  training  in  this  direction 
and  easy  access  to  such  work,  through  your  father's  skill, 
reputation,  position,  and  associations.    And  you  could 
unite  it  with  writing  or  journalism,  —  social  work  naturally 
flows  to  such  expression,  —  unite  it  with  writing  easily  and 
effectively,  without  the  risk  of  the  over-confinement  and 
nervous  strain  incident  to  a  life  entirely  devoted  to  author- 
ship or  journalism. 

6.  Please  bring  me  some  of  your  compositions. 

7.  Make  a  full  blue  book  study  of  yourself  in  answer  to 
the  questions  on  this  sheet  of  "  Personal  Data,"  and  then 
come  for  another  consultation. 

8  Read  "Careers  for  Women"  and  the  relevant  parts 
of  Fowler's  "  Starting  in  Life,"  and  see  as  much  as  you  can 
of  different  industries. 

9.  Read,  think,  talk,  cultivate  thoughtful  people;  watch 
the  inner  light,  note  the  things  that  interest  you  most,  tell 
them  to  your  friends,  write  about  them,  take  the  MS.  to 
some  accomplished  writer  for  criticism,  compare  it  care- 
fully with  the  best  writings  in  its  class ;  and  when  revised, 
invigorated,  and  polished  to  the  best  of  your  ability,  send 
it  to  some  magazine  or  newspaper.    If  the  MS.  comes 
back  to  you  send  it  to  another  publication,  and  keep  on  till 
you  get  it  published  or  are  pretty  sure  you  can't  get  a  pub- 
lisher.  Do  this  with  one  article  a  month  at  first,  and  as  you 
gain  facility  make  it  one  short  article  a  week  at  least. 

10.  It  would  be  well  to  take  your  subjects,  in  part  at 


SAMPLE  CASES  149 

least,  from  your  own  actual  experiences  in  social  work. 
That  will  unite  your  two  chief  interests  in  work  that  can  be 
made  consistent  with  care  for  your  health,  and  in  a  way 
that  will  be  helpful  to  both  interests.  The  fact  that  you  are 
going  to  write  about  your  social  work  will  give  it  additional 
interest  and  vigor ;  and  the  fact  that  your  writing  is  carved 
out  of  personal  experience  will  help  to  give  it  strength  and 
vitality. 

The  Chelsea  relief  work  offers  you  fine  opportunities  just 
now  for  vital  experiences  in  helping  the  sufferers  solve 
their  problems. 

11.  Study  Irving's   "Sketch-Book,"    Kipling's  "Plain 
Tales,"  Jack  London's  books,  Jacob  Riis's  "Battle  with 
the  Slum"  and    "How  the  Other  Half   Lives,"  "Mrs. 
Wiggs,"    "Timothy's  Quest,"    "Patsy,"    "Sesame    and 
Lilies,"  "Crown  of  Wild  Olive,"  "Rab  and  His  Friends," 
"A-Hunting  of  the  Deer,"  "Birds  and  Bees,"   "Wild 
Animals  I  Have  Known,"  "The  Bonnie  Brier  Bush," 
Emerson's  Essays  and  Bacon's,  Shakespeare's  Plays  and 
Sheridan's,  "  The  Light  of  Asia,"  "  Letters  from  a  Chinese 
Official,"  Omar's   "Rubaiyat,"  and  Wendell   Phillips's 
Speeches,  to  help  you  acquire  vividness,  condensation, 
unity,  imagery,  and  humor,  and  develop  a  clear,  strong, 
picturesque,  and  popular  style. 

12.  Practice  writing  a  little  every  day.    Intervals  of 
length  hinder  or  arrest  development.  It  is  frequent  effort 
that  produces  rapid  growth  of  facility  and  power. 

If  you  follow  these  methods  with  persistent  industry 
for  a  year  or  so,  you  cannot  fail  to  be  greatly  benefited,  and 
your  possibilities  in  the  directions  indicated  will  probably 
become  so  clear  as  to  make  it  easy  for  you  to  form  a  definite 
conclusion  in  the  matter. 

Since  the  interview  this  young  lady  has  entered  the 
regular  college  course  in  preparation  for  journalism  in  the 
University  of  Wisconsin. 


150  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

Case  88 
A  FARMER'S  BOY  IN  THE  CITY 

A  tall,  strong,  good-looking  boy  of  eighteen;  pleasant 
mannered,  soft-spoken,  intelligent,  modest,  retiring. 
Brought  up  on  his  father's  farm.  Health  perfect;  never 
sick  as  far  back  as  can  remember.  Lost  fingers  of  left  hand 
in  trolley  accident.  Educated  in  country  grammar  and 
high  schools.  Best  records  in  stenography,  commercial 
geography  and  arithmetic,  algebra  and  English  history; 
poorest  in  American  history  (because  of  the  use  of  the 
research  method  in  that  study)  and  in  English.  No  reading 
of  much  account.  Does  n't  like  farm  work  except  the  care 
of  animals.  Left  farm  little  over  year  ago.  Worked  a  month 
as  stenographer  in  business  house  at  $8  and  $10  a  week. 
Since  then  he  has  been  doing  general  office  and  clerical 
work  in  a  public  institution  at  $8  a  week.  Spends  two 
evenings  a  week  taking  a  course  in  stenography.  Says  he 
has  made  speeds  of  100  to  130  words  a  minute  in  school 
dictation.  But  speed  is  helped  by  familiarity  with  the 
routine  of  business  correspondence  used  for  school  dicta- 
tion. My  test  with  plain,  simple  English  statement  of  mat- 
ter unfamiliar  to  him  gave  65  words  a  minute.  Auditory 
memory  fair  when  using  simple  sentences  he  could  easily 
understand ;  but  very  poor  when  using  sentences  from 
Emerson's  Essays,  the  meaning  of  which  he  did  not  readily 
grasp.  Spends  spare  time  walking  about  the  streets  or  sit- 
ting on  the  steps  with  other  young  fellows,  just  having  a 
social  time.  Does  not  belong  to  any  organizations  except 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Has  made  no  plans  beyond  a  course  in 
stenography  and  one,  perhaps,  in  bookkeeping.  A  friend 
connected  with  the  school  where  he  is  taking  stenography 
advised  him  to  consult  the  Vocation  Bureau,  so  he  came  to 
see  the  counselor. 


SAMPLE  CASES  151 

Comments  and  Suggestions. 

"  It  is  surely  time  you  began  to  work  out  a  definite  plan 
of  life.  You  are  just  drifting  now  in  a  little  boat,  without 
compass  or  chart.  You  cannot  expect  to  make  a  good  voy- 
age or  reach  an  important  port  that  way. 

"You  want  to  develop  your  economic  value,  and  your 
civic  and  social  value  also.  You  want  to  increase  your 
earning  power  and  get  the  money.  And  you  also  want  to 
make  yourself  a  good  citizen  and  valuable  member  of 
society  so  that  you  will  deserve  the  respect  of  your  fellow 
men.  Is  n't  that  so  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Well,  you  are  not  moving  in  that  direction  very  rapidly 
now,  are  you  ?  " 

"No." 

"You  are  just  vegetating;  living  like  one  of  the  big  elms 
on  your  father's  farm,  or  one  of  his  horses ;  following  the 
ordinary  routine  of  life,  without  thought  for  the  future,  — 
leaving  the  thinking  and  planning  to  others,  who  are  there- 
fore making  all  the  money. 

"  You  do  not  want  to  be  simply  a  machine,  to  transform 
the  energy  in  a  certain  amount  of  food  each  day  into  type- 
writing or  clerical  work.  You  know  practically  nothing 
about  what  is  going  on  in  the  world,  nothing  of  the  great 
movements  of  the  age  in  which  you  live,  nothing  of  science 
or  literature.  In  the  same  building,  and  on  the  same  floor 
with  the  office  in  which  you  work,  is  a  library  that  con- 
tains many  of  the  world's  best  books.  If  Shakespeare,  or 
Emerson,  or  Ruskin,  or  Wendell  Phillips  should  come  to 
speak  in  Boston  you  would  want  to  hear  the  address, 
would  n't  you  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  And  if  you  could  have  such  men  for  your  daily  com- 
panions you  would  think  yourself  highly  privileged  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  would." 


152  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

"Well,  there  they  are  across  the  hall  from  you,  waiting 
to  speak  to  you  and  give  you  their  companionship.  They 
have  put  the  best  of  themselves  into  their  books,  and  it  is 
all  yours  for  the  asking. 

"  A  cow  may  be  excused  for  grazing  placidly  over  a  gold 
mine  and  never  attempting  to  get  at  the  precious  metal  that 
is  so  near  her ;  but  a  man  ought  not  to  behave  in  that  way." 

(These  remarks,  seasoned  with  sympathy  and  interest 
evident  in  tone  and  smile  and  cordial  manner,  did  not  dis- 
please the  young  man,  but  quite  the  contrary.) 

"  You  will  soon  be  one  of  the  rulers  of  the  United  States, 
and  one  of  the  directors  of  the  corporation  of  Boston  and 
the  State  of  Massachusetts,  responsible  for  your  proper 
share  in  the  government  of  city,  state,  and  nation.  What 
are  you  doing  to  fit  yourself  for  the  trust  ?  Practically  no- 
thing. Yet  I  'm  sure  you  want  to  fit  yourself  for  that  great 
trust  to  the  best  of  your  ability.  Is  n't  it  so  ?  " 

"Yes"  (heartily). 

"  Well,  this  sheet  of  Civic  Suggestions,  and  some  of  the 
books  I  have  marked  for  you  to  read,  will  help  you. 

"You  want  to  develop  a  full,  well-balanced  manhood. 
Making  a  living  is  only  one  arc  of  the  circle.  You  must  be 
a  good  citizen  as  well  as  a  good  worker.  You  don't  want 
to  be  alive  only  on  one  side,  and  dead  on  the  other. 

"  Coming  back  to  your  work :  It  is  not  clear  at  all  that 
stenography  is  the  right  thing  for  you.  You  are  not  spe- 
cially quick,  nor  gifted  with  auditory  retentiveness.  You 
are  weak  in  English  and  general  information.  You  don't 
love  the  work,  or  you  would  devote  more  energy  to  it 
than  a  little  time  two  evenings  a  week.  You  look  at  it 
simply  as  a  means  of  earning  a  living.  Your  heart  is  not  in 
it.  Stenography  is  a  poor  field  for  a  man  unless  he  is  going 
to  be  a  gilt-edged  expert,  and  at  best  there  are  fewer  prizes 
than  in  agriculture,  stock  raising,  manufactures,  com- 
merce, etc. 

"  You  may  make  a  good  office  hand  or  private  secretary, 


SAMPLE  CASES  153 

or  even  an  expert  perhaps,  if  you  will  practice  constantly 
enough  to  get  the  thing  into  your  blood  and  make  it  auto- 
matic or  reflex,  and  will  get  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
English  language  and  a  fair  understanding  of  men  and 
affairs  as  well  as  speed  and  accuracy  as  a  stenographer  and 
typewriter.  A  first-class  stenographer  must  have  more  than 
double  your  speed,  and  must  have  enough  general  know- 
ledge to  understand  the  sense  of  the  matter  he  writes  and 
the  work  he  is  called  on  to  do.  He  must  know  the  English 
language  as  well  as  the  keyboard  of  his  typewriter. 

"  But  the  possibilities  even  at  the  top  are  not  very  large, 
while  the  great  pressure  of  feminine  competition  in  all  the 
lower  and  middle  strata  of  the  business  makes  it  unde- 
sirable for  a  man  of  moderate  skill,  who  must  earn  enough 
to  support  a  family.  A  man  may  make  a  good  income  from 
stenography  if  he  is  rapid  enough  to  be  a  court  stenographer 
(but  the  work  is  a  severe  strain  on  the  nervous  system),  or 
if  he  can  build  up  a  school  of  stenography,  or  can  secure 
enough  business  to  employ  a  number  of  girls  and  get  for 
himself  the  manager's  pay  and  employer's  profits,  or  if 
he  can  combine  his  stenographic  skill  with  other  abilities 
sufficient  to  give  him  a  good  position  as  private  secretary 
to  some  business  man,  public  official,  or  literary  worker. 

"  You  like  the  care  of  animals,  you  say.  Raising  poultry, 
dogs,  sheep,  horses,  etc.,  market  gardening,  fruit  raising, 
flower  culture,  etc.,  offer  a  man  like  you  more  chance  for 
income,  independence,  and  social  position,  than  steno- 
graphy, besides  being  much  more  healthful  and  in  line  with 
the  bulk  of  your  experience,  so  that  the  maximum  use  of 
your  past  life  would  be  available. 

"Agricultural  pursuits,  when  mixed  with  brains  and 
science,  mean  prosperity  and  happiness.  It  is  only  when 
divorced  from  science  that  they  lose  their  interest  and 
become  drudgery. 

"You  have  youth  and  health  and  a  fairly  good  head. 
Enthusiasm  and  persistent  industry  will  do  the  rest. 


154  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

"But  the  fact  is,  that  you  have  not  yet  had  sufficient 
experience  to  develop  your  interests  and  aptitudes.  You 
know  very  little  about  yourself  or  about  the  world." 

"That  is  true." 

"You  do  not  understand  either  well  enough  to  form  a 
good  basis  for  conclusion  as  to  the  true  relation  between 
the  two.  You  must  study  yourself  and  study  the  world,  in 
order  to  be  able  to  decide  wrhat  you  are  best  fitted  to  do, 
and  how  you  can  unite  the  best  of  yourself  with  your  daily 
work.  The  great  thing  now  in  this  relation  is  to  focus  your 
mind  on  the  problem.  Visit  the  Agricultural  College  at 
Amherst  if  possible,  and  by  all  means  read  about  Luther 
Burbank's  wonderful  experiments  in  creating  new  varieties 
of  fruits  and  flowers  almost  at  will." 


Case  90 

I    DON'T   SEE   ANY   FUTURE   IN    MY   WORK 

A  man  of  thirty-eight;  unmarried;  tall,  well-built,  good- 
looking;  quiet,  pleasing  manners;  good  memory,  clear 
head,  careful,  accurate,  moderate  initiative.  Health  excel- 
lent ;  does  n't  remember  when  he  was  sick ;  has  n't  missed 
a  day  from  work  on  account  of  sickness  for  fifteen  years,  at 
least.  Born  and  brought  up  in  Boston ;  father  was  a  sales- 
man. Boy  went  to  kindergarten,  grammar,  and  high 
schools,  and  took  two  years  special  work  in  chemistry  at 
the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology.  Circumstances 
made  it  necessary  for  him  to  go  to  work,  and  he  left  Tech 
before  completing  his  course. 

Began  as  errand  boy  for  an  iron  house,  $3  a  week ;  stayed 
with  the  firm  three  years,  working  his  way  into  the  book- 
keeping department  at  $9  a  week.  Left  to  take  a  place  at 
$10  a  week  with  a  bag-making  company.  Been  with  the 
company  ever  since.  Fifteen  years  of  steady  service ;  now 
has  full  charge  of  the  books  and  a  salary  of  $140  a  month. 


SAMPLE  CASES  155 

"  Did  the  company  raise  your  pay  from  time  to  time  vol- 
untarily, or  did  you  have  to  ask  for  the  increase  each  time  ?  " 

"  I  never  asked  for  a  raise.  Every  advance  of  pay  was  on 
my  employers'  own  motion." 

"  Do  you  like  bookkeeping  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"You  like  the  work  and  you  are  making  $140  a  month. 
What  is  the  trouble  ?  " 

"  I  don't  see  any  future  in  my  work.  I  Ve  got  as  high  as  I 
can  where  I  am,  and  I  don't  want  to  stop  at  $140  a  month. 
I  want  something  ahead  of  me  to  work  up  to." 

"  Do  you  save  your  money  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"And  invest  it?" 

"Yes." 

"  Then  you  have  one  means  of  steady  progress  at  least. 
And  there  are  other  methods  you  can  readily  apply. 

"You  have  had  over  fifteen  years'  experience  in  book- 
keeping and  have  been  successful,  as  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  your  employers  have  voluntarily  lifted  your  pay  from 
$9  to  $35  a  week.  You  like  the  work,  your  only  objection 
being  that  you  can't  see  any  future  to  it. 

"  Now,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  a  thoroughly  equipped  ac- 
countant can  make  from  $15  to  $50  a  day.  The  Civic 
Federation  Commission,  of  which  I  was  a  member,  paid 
its  expert  accountants  $20  a  day  and  expenses,  and  I  know 
accountants  who  make  $50  a  day  auditing  sets  of  books 
for  business  houses,  cities,  etc." 

"I  had  no  idea  the  pay  ran  so  high." 

"If  you  felt  that  you  were  working  toward  a  possible 
$20  or  $30  a  day,  you  would  think  there  was  future  enough 
in  your  line  of  business  to  make  you  satisfied  to  continue 
in  it  and  justify  any  reasonable  amount  of  effort  in  self- 
development,  would  n't  you  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  certainly  would." 

"  Well,  the  prizes  are  there,  and  you  can  try  for  them. 


156  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

You  are  not  more  than  a  third  of  the  way  up  the  ladder 
in  your  profession.  You  have  health  and  strength  and 
ambition  to  help  you  climb  higher  up.  Good  certified 
accountants  make  $1500  to  $3000  a  year,  even  as  salaried 
employees;  and  when  a  man  acquires  experience  and 
acquaintance  enough  to  work  up  a  good  business  of  his 
own  or  become  a  partner  in  a  firm  employing  a  corps  of 
assistants,  he  may  build  up  an  income  of  $5000  or  $6000 
or  even  $10,000  in  a  city  like  Boston,  and  $15,000,  $20,000, 
even  $50,000  to  $100,000  in  New  York,  I  am  told.  In 
fact,  accountants  tell  me  there  is  practically  no  limit  to 
the  income  a  first-class  man  can  attain  in  New  York  as 
a  member  of  an  accounting  house  or  partnership,  if  he 
thoroughly  understands  business  affairs  as  well  as  ac- 
counting and  has  acquired  large  experience  and  acquaint- 
ance. 

"Even  in  straight  bookkeeping  you  have  by  no  means 
reached  the  limit.  You  do  not  have  to  stay  all  your  life  in 
the  place  you  are  in.  If  you  fit  yourself  for  a  larger  field, 
you  may  get  a  place  in  a  much  larger  house,  where  you 
will  have  a  chance  to  work  up  to  the  head  of  the  book- 
keeping department,  with  a  body  of  workers  under  you  and 
a  salary  two  or  three  times  as  large  as  you  have  now. 

"  There  is  plenty  of  future  in  your  line  if  you  will  work 
for  it.  I  suggest  that  you  ascertain  the  requirements  for 
the  State  Examinations  that  must  be  passed  in  order  to 
become  a  certified  public  accountant.  We  have  no  law 
of  this  kind  yet  in  Massachusetts.  But  you  can  take  the 
examination,  and  get  your  certificate  in  Rhode  Island,  or 
in  New  York. 

"The  evening  courses  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  or  Comer's 
Commercial  School,  or  the  day  courses  at  Bryant  & 
Stratton's,  offer  you  the  means  of  perfecting  your  know- 
ledge of  accounting  and  business  finance.  At  Comer's 
you  can  begin  right  away  and  study  all  summer,  if  you 
choose. 


SAMPLE  CASES  157 

"  It  is  not  necessary  to  wait  till  you  get  your  certificate 
before  pushing  for  a  place  in  a  larger  house.  You  can 
begin  a  campaign  for  a  wider  field  at  once,  in  the  way 
already  suggested.  Get  an  advertising  expert  to  help  you 
draw  up  the  statement  you  place  with  the  employment 
agencies,  and  watch  the  want  ads  for  high-class  book- 
keepers on  your  own  account,  apply  in  person  for  openings 
that  attract  you,  and  have  a  clear,  concise,  and  well-worded 
statement  of  your  record  and  experience  that  you  can  leave 
with  the  Employment  Manager  after  you  have  talked  with 
him,  or  send  to  him  when  you  ask  for  an  interview. 

"Your  progress  depends:  first,  on  perfecting  your 
equipment,  —  developing  your  economic  value  by  per- 
sistent, well-directed  study  for  the  purpose  of  mastering 
your  profession;  and  second,  on  getting  an  opportunity 
to  use  your  knowledge  in  a  larger  field,  either  as  a  public 
accountant  or  in  the  bookkeeping  department  of  a  bigger 
company.  You  must  get  the  goods  and  take  them  to 
market.  You  must  have  what  people  want,  and  you  must 
let  them  know  that  you  have  it;  those  are  the  two  main 
elements  in  such  a  case." 

The  young  man  entered  into  the  plan  with  interest  and 
enthusiasm.  He  saw  the  way  to  advancement  clear  before 
him,  and  said  he  would  begin  to  work  at  once  on  the  lines 
suggested  by  the  counselor. 


CASE    INCIDENTS 

Incidental  suggestions  often  occupy  an  important  part 
in  the  consultation.  For  instance,  a  boy  who  stammered 
two  or  three  times  during  the  interview  was  sent  to  the 
Stammerers'  Institute,  for  the  simple  and  effective  treat- 
ment which  is  almost  certain  to  cure  him.  A  young  man 
who  seemed  to  be  very  bright  and  thoroughly  competent, 
complained  that  he  could  not  get  on,  could  not  secure 
advancement  or  any  satisfactory  reason  why  he  was  not 


158  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

advanced.  The  counselor  called  his  attention  to  the  fact 
that  his  voice  in  conversation  was  lifeless  and  unpleasant, 
—  entirely  below  the  standard  he  attained  in  other  re- 
spects, and  giving  a  decided  impression,  not  only  of  lack 
of  vigor  and  interest,  but  of  want  of  intelligence.  The 
youth  believed  he  had  found  the  key  to  his  trouble,  and 
reported  some  time  later  that  the  change  in  his  ability 
to  interest  people  and  deal  with  them  successfully  was 
astonishing. 

A  young  man  of  marked  ability,  who  was  quite  clearly 
in  the  right  line,  but  was  with  a  house  too  small  to  admit 
of  much  advancement,  and  did  not  know  how  to  get  into 
a  larger  field,  was  advised  to  join  a  club  where  he  would 
come  in  touch  with  the  best  business  men  of  the  city,  and 
also  to  avail  himself  of  the  services  of  the  best  agencies  for 
securing  the  class  of  work  he  was  qualified  to  do. 

In  another  case  the  usual  inquiries  in  regard  to  saving 
and  spending  money  brought  out  the  fact  that  the  boy 
wanted  very  much  to  get  on  in  the  world,  but  was  dis- 
couraged about  himself  because  he  constantly  let  his  money 
slip  from  him  in  dissipation.  He  was  alone  in  the  city,  and 
when  evening  came  he  was  lonesome,  and  he  would  drift 
into  the  theatre  or  some  worse  place  nearly  every  night, 
and  his  money  would  go.  The  counselor  suggested  that  he 
should  join  a  boys'  club,  take  up  some  evening  studies  that 
would  bring  him  every  night  to  the  Civic  Service  House, 
and  make  a  daily  report  in  writing  to  the  counselor  or  some 
one  else  he  might  select  as  a  sort  of  trustee,  showing  just 
how  much  money  he  had  spent  in  the  last  twenty-four 
hours  and  what  he  had  spent  it  for.  In  a  little  while,  if  he 
did  this  faithfully,  new  interests  and  better  habits  would  be 
formed,  and  he  would  become  strong  enough  to  live  rightly 
without  a  guardian.  He  grasped  eagerly  at  the  chance  of 
getting  out  of  the  mire,  and  put  the  method  suggested  in 
practice  at  once,  with  excellent  results. 

A  Scotch-American  boy  at  the  second  interview  seemed 


SAMPLE  CASES  159 

listless  and  inert.  On  inquiry  it  appeared  that  he  was 
troubled  with  constipation,  and  drugs  did  not  seem  to  give 
him  any  permanent  relief.  The  counselor  gave  him  a 
memorandum  of  some  simple  hygienic  remedies  through 
diet,  exercise,  kneading,  bathing,  etc.,  and  two  weeks 
later  he  came  back  as  bright  as  a  new  dollar,  to  say  that 
one  of  the  simplest  of  the  methods  suggested  had  fixed  him 
all  right.  This  may  seem  a  little  aside  from  the  functions 
of  a  vocation  bureau ;  but  when  it  is  considered  that 
health  is  the  foundation  of  industrial  efficiency,  that 
constipation,  with  the  auto-poisoning  that  may  follow,  is  a 
serious  handicap,  and  that  very  few  doctors  will  apply  the 
simple  remedies  which  are  really  most  effective  and  bene- 
ficial, it  is  clear  that  such  suggestions  are  not  out  of  order 
in  the  work  of  helping  young  men  to  achieve  efficiency  and 
success. 

The  discussion  of  special  cases  could  be  continued  al- 
most indefinitely;  but  enough  has  been  said  to  give  some 
notion  of  the  work  that  is  being  done,  and  its  possibilities 
for  the  future.  The  Civic  Suggestions,  the  library  work 
with  its  analytic  reading  and  research,  and  the  tabulated 
courses  of  study  often  create  an  interest  that  brings  the 
young  man  back  to  the  counselor  again  and  again  for 
brief  reports  or  consultations. 


XVI 


CONCLUSIONS 

THE  work  is  constantly  growing  in  extent  and  utility,  but 
it  must  always  be  very  inadequate  as  compared  to  the  need, 
until  it  becomes  a  public  institution  affiliated  or  incor- 
porated with  the  public-school  system.  This  we  hope  will 
ultimately  come  to  pass,  as  public  education  is  extended 
and  perfected  and  industrial  training  is  developed. 

Society  is  very  short-sighted  as  yet  in  its  attitude  towards 
the  development  of  its  human  resources.  It  trains  its 
horses,  as  a  rule,  better  than  its  men.  It  spends  unlimited 
money  to  perfect  the  inanimate  machinery  of  production, 
but  pays  very  little  attention  to  the  business  of  perfecting 
the  human  machinery,  though  it  is  by  far  the  most  impor- 
tant in  production. 

Less  than  one  sixteenth  of  the  children  in  Boston  pri- 
maries go  through  a  high-school  course.  In  Philadelphia 
less  than  one  thirtieth  of  the  children  go  through  the  high 
school,  and  in  Washington  less  than  one  thirteenth. 

Here  are  the  data  for  these  three  cities,  obtained  at  the 
opening  of  this  year.  The  high-school  figures  include  the 
pupils  in  all  the  schools  and  courses  of  high-school  grade, 
commercial  and  manual  training,  as  well  as  academic :  — 

PUPILS  IN  THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS 


BOSTON 

PHILADELPHIA 

WASHINGTON 

First  year  primaries. 
First  year  grammar. 
Last  year  grammar. 
Last  year  high  schools. 

13,622 
10,007 
4,869 
850 

33,588 
19,386 
5,710 
1,089 

9,198 
5,601 
3,136 
663 

CONCLUSIONS  161 

Nearly  two  thirds  of  the  children  in  Boston  and  Wash- 
ington and  five  sixths  in  Philadelphia  drop  out  of  school 
even  before  they  finish  the  grammar  grades.  There  are  not 
seats  enough  in  the  grammar  schools,  probably,  for  more 
than  one  tenth  of  the  whole  number.  Our  cities  evidently 
do  not  expect  or  intend  to  educate  the  bulk  of  the  boys  and 
girls  beyond  the  primaries  or  lower  grammar  grades.  The 
mass  of  children  go  to  work  to  earn  their  living  as  soon  as 
they  are  old  enough  to  meet  the  law,  and  often  before  that. 

Science  declares  that  specialization  in  early  years  in 
place  of  all-round  culture  is  disastrous  both  to  the  individ- 
ual and  to  society.  There  is  a  clear  relation  between  in- 
telligence and  variety  of  action  and  experience.  A  know- 
ledge of  each  of  the  great  classes  of  industry  by  practical 
contact  is  the  right  of  every  boy.  This  varied  experience 
should  be  obtained  under  a  thoroughgoing  scientific  plan 
of  educational  development,  and  not  by  the  wasteful  and 
imperfect  method  of  drifting  from  one  employment  to 
another  in  the  effort  to  make  a  living,  —  running  an  ele- 
vator in  one  place,  marking  tags  in  another,  tending  a 
rivet  machine  in  another,  etc.,  etc.,  —  spending  years  of 
time  and  energy  in  narrow  specialization,  and  getting  no 
adequate,  comprehensive  understanding  of  any  business 
or  industry. 

The  union  of  a  broad  general  culture  with  an  industrial 
education,  including  a  practical  experience  broad  enough 
to  form  a  true  foundation  for  specialization  in  the  proper 
field,  possesses  an  economic  and  social  value  that  can 
hardly  be  overestimated.  Yet  practically  all  our  children 
are  subjected  to  the  evil  of  unbalanced  specialization,  — 
specialization  that  is  not  founded  on,  or  accompanied  by, 
the  broad  culture  and  experience  that  should  form  its  basis 
and  be  continued  as  coordinate  factors  in  a  full  develop- 
ment, —  specialization  that  is  not  only  unbalanced  and 
ill-founded,  but  also  in  many  cases  inherently  narrow, 
inefficient,  and  hurtful  in  itself. 


162  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

Most  of  the  children  who  leave  school  early  specialize  on 
narrow  industrial  lines,  and  most  of  those  who  remain  in 
school  specialize  on  book  learning.  Book  work  should  be 
balanced  with  industrial  education;  and  working  children 
should  spend  part  time  in  culture  classes  and  industrial 
science.  Society  should  make  it  possible  for  every  boy  and 
girl  to  secure  at  least  a  high-school  education  and  an  indus- 
trial training  at  the  same  time.  This  can  be  done  by  the 
establishment  of  Public  Half- Work  High  Schools,  in  which 
boys  and  girls  can  study  half  of  each  day,  and  support 
themselves  by  working  the  other  half -day  for  the  public 
water  works,  lighting  or  transportation  systems,  street 
department  or  some  other  department  of  the  public  ser- 
vice, or  for  private  employers. 

A  city  or  town  can  easily  make  arrangements  with  mer- 
chants, manufacturers,  and  other  private  employers, 
whereby  the  high-school  pupils  may  have  the  opportunity 
to  work  half-time  in  many  lines  of  industry.  The  Women's 
Educational  and  Industrial  Union  of  Boston  is  already 
carrying  on  this  sort  of  arrangement  with  some  of  the  lead- 
ing merchants  of  the  city,  so  that  the  girls  in  the  Union's 
classes  in  salesmanship  are  able  to  support  themselves  and 
get  most  valuable  practical  training  by  wrorking  half-time 
in  the  stores.  Enlightened  employers  are  glad  to  make  such 
arrangements,  realizing  the  importance  to  themselves  and 
to  the  whole  community  of  such  advanced  industrial  and 
culture  training.  Some  of  our  agricultural  colleges  and 
state  universities,  especially  in  the  West,  afford  opportuni- 
ties for  young  men  and  women  to  earn  their  living  while 
getting  a  college  education.  The  University  of  Cincinnati 
is  an  illustrious  example.  All  that  is  necessary  is  to  extend 
the  methods  and  principles  already  in  use  to  the  public- 
school  system  as  a  whole,  so  that  no  boy  or  girl  shall  be 
longer  debarred  from  the  training  of  mind  and  hand,  which 
is  the  rightful  heritage  of  every  child  society  allows  to  be 
born  into  this  complex  and  difficult  world. 


CONCLUSIONS  163 

Besides  the  extension  of  general  education  and  the  addi- 
tion of  vocational  training,  the  methods  of  general  culture 
should  be  materially  modified,  if  we  are  to  give  our  boys 
and  girls  an  adequate  preparation  for  life  and  work  instead 
of  a  preparation  for  passing  an  examination  to  get  a 
degree.  We  should  train  for  ability  and  character  rather 
than  for  examinations.  And  the  principal  test  should  be 
the  successful  performance  of  things  that  have  to  be  done 
in  daily  life,  rather  than  the  answering  of  a  series  of  ques- 
tions about  a  book  or  a  lecture  course.  Systematic  and 
scientific  training  of  body  and  brain,  of  memory,  reason, 
imagination,  inventiveness,  care,  thoroughness,  truth, 
promptitude,  reliability,  sympathy,  kindliness,  persistent 
industry,  etc.,  etc.,  is  what  we  need.  Education  for  power; 
with  actual  performance,  useful  work,  as  the  fundamental 
test.  Power  in  any  direction  comes  from  exercise  or  activity 
in  that  direction,  together  with  sufficient  development  in 
other  directions  to  give  symmetry  and  balance  to  the 
whole.  Even  the  power  of  sympathy  and  the  sense  of  jus- 
tice can  be  developed  by  daily  exercise,  on  the  same  prin- 
ciple that  we  develop  the  biceps  or  the  bicycle  muscles. 
Knowledge  is  excellent;  but  a  man  with  knowledge  only, 
without  the  power  of  original  thought  and  the  ability  to  put 
his  ideas  into  effective  execution,  is  little  better  than  a  book 
—  he  contains  a  record  of  facts  but  cannot  build  or  execute. 
He  may  not  even  be  up  to  the  book  standard  of  life  if  he 
has  not  learned  to  express  and  impart  his  knowledge.  That 
is  why  college  graduates,  even  those  who  stood  high  in  their 
classes,  often  fail  to  make  good  in  business.  They  are  good 
bookworms,  sponges,  absorbing  machines,  but  they  do  not 
know  how  to  do  things,  and  have  no  taste  for  doing  things. 
They  are  really  unfitted,  by  their  habits  of  passive  absorp- 
tion, for  the  active  life  of  the  business  world.  We  must 
train  our  students  to  full  powers  of  action,  not  only  in  foot- 
ball and  other  athletic  sports,  but  in  the  various  lines  of 
useful  work  so  far  as  possible,  according  to  their  aptitudes 


164  CHOOSING  A  VOCATION 

as  brought  out  by  scientific  tests  and  varied  experience. 
And  we  must  give  our  working  boys  the  powers  of  thought 
and  verbal  expression  that  come  with  general  culture.  And 
we  must  do  all  this  in  the  formative  period,  before  the 
progressive  hardening  of  the  system  has  taken  the  bloom 
from  development  and  modifiability. 

Youth  is  the  period  of  plasticity  and  rapid  development, 
in  which  the  foundation  should  be  laid  both  for  an  all- 
round  culture  and  for  special  vocational  power.  The 
fluidity  of  youth  is  shown  in  the  fact  that  practically  75 
per  cent  of  the  infant's  body  is  water,  wrhile  only  58.5  per 
cent  of  the  adult's  body  is  liquid.  Though  some  degree  of 
plasticity  may  be  retained  to  the  end,  the  more  funda- 
mental characteristics  of  a  man  are  generally  fixed  at 
twenty-five,  and  the  mental  at  thirty-five  or  forty.  If  you 
were  moulding  a  statue  in  plaster  of  Paris,  you  would  not 
think  it  wise  to  neglect  the  work  or  let  it  drag  along  half- 
done  till  the  plastic  mass  had  stiffened  into  rigidity.  It  is 
just  as  unwise  to  neglect  the  opportunities  afforded  by  the 
plasticity  of  youth.  A  year  of  the  period  from  fifteen  to 
twenty-five  is  worth  more  than  two  years  after  thirty-five, 
for  formative  purposes  and  the  development  of  power. 
Youth  is  the  age  of  brain  and  heart.  The  body  of  an  adult 
is  three  times  as  long,  on  the  average,  as  the  infant's  body, 
and  the  adult's  arms  are  four  times  and  his  legs  five  times 
as  long  as  the  infant's,  while  his  head  is  only  twice  the 
height  of  the  infant's.  The  brain  of  the  child  is  so  large 
that  it  only  increases  in  weight  four  times  in  the  growth  to 
maturity,  while  the  heart  increases  thirteen  times,  and  the 
body  more  than  twenty  times.  The  weight  of  the  brain  at 
birth  is  12.29  per  cent  of  the  total  weight,  while  at  twenty- 
five  the  weight  of  the  brain  is  only  2.16  per  cent  of  the 
whole,  —  nearly  six  times  as  much  brain  weight  for  the 
infant  as  for  the  adult  in  proportion  to  the  total  weight. 
As  you  leave  your  youth  the  rapidity  of  development 
diminishes,  as  well  as  the  proportion  of  brain,  and  the 


CONCLUSIONS  165 

plasticity  or  capacity  for  modification  and  acquirement  of 
new  abilities.  The  infant  at  birth  is  five  million  times  as 
large  as  the  original  germ  cell.  In  the  first  year  the  growth 
is  about  threefold.  Then  the  rate  of  development  decreases 
till  about  the  eleventh  year,  when  a  period  of  rapid  growth 
begins,  reaching  its  maximum  speed  as  a  rule  somewhere 
between  the  fourteenth  and  the  nineteenth  year,  and  grad- 
ually tapering  off  to  the  milder  movement  of  comparative 
maturity  after  twenty-five. 

In  this  plastic  period  of  rapid  growth,  this  age  of  brain 
and  heart,  society  should  guarantee  to  every  child  a  thor- 
ough all-round  development  of  body,  mind,  and  character, 
and  a  careful  planning  of  and  adequate  preparation  for 
some  occupation,  for  which,  in  the  light  of  scientific  testing 
and  experiment,  the  youth  seems  best  adapted,  or  as  well 
adapted  as  to  any  other  calling  which  is  reasonably  avail- 
able. If  this  vital  period  is  allowed  to  pass  without  the 
broad  development  and  special  training  that  belong  to  it, 
no  amount  of  education  in  after  years  can  ever  redeem  the 
loss.  Not  till  society  wakes  up  to  its  responsibilities  and  its 
privileges  in  this  relation  shall  we  be  able  to  harvest  more 
than  a  fraction  of  our  human  resources,  or  develop  and 
utilize  the  genius  and  ability  that  are  latent  in  each  new 
generation.  When  that  time  does  come,  education  will 
become  the  leading  industry,  and  a  vocation  bureau  in 
effect  will  be  a  part  of  the  public-school  system  in  every 
community,  —  a  bureau  provided  with  every  facility  that 
science  can  devise  for  the  testing  of  the  senses  and  capaci- 
ties, and  the  whole  physical,  intellectual,  and  emotional 
make-up  of  the  child,  and  with  experts  trained  as  carefully 
for  the  work  as  men  are  trained  to-day  for  medicine  and 
the  law. 


;3Tfic  CiilUTsibc  press 

CAMBRIDGE  .  MASSACHUSETTS 
U   .  S   .  A 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

405  Hilgard  Avenue,  Los  Angeles,  CA  90024-1388 

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